Heal My Insanity
by Katdog161
Summary: Jason struggles to throw off the insanity of Rook Island while also fighting with his feelings for his brother's girlfriend. What would he be willing to do to keep her safe? (Please note mature rating) (Jason and Daisy pairing)
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Far Cry 3 was quite a good game, but the story felt a little half baked to me. It was good, but I wanted more. So this is my continuation of the story. Will be a Daisy/Jason pairing. I felt like he trusted her most of any of his friends. I'm not much of a writer, so forgive me if you find this story completely awful.

Mature rating for cursing and blood and violence and sex, etc. Just a fair warning. Apologies if you find this to be in bad taste.

(Updated in a few places because I cannot leave well enough alone. I really can't. It's a problem.)

"I suffer dreams of a world gone mad. I like it like that and I know it." ~ Leave, R.E.M

/

(Flashback)

Club lights flashed overhead as Jason downed another shot. It was a good thing he was so wasted, because he was sure to be dancing like an idiot right now and he didn't want to remember this later.

Another song came on with a faster beat. Jason saw his friends nearby, Keith with a girl grinding into his lap, Oliver smoking some unknown substance in the corner. Jason hoped it wasn't poison.

Where was Liza? Jason looked around and saw Liza dancing with his brother, Grant. Jason relaxed. If Liza was trying to get with Grant, she was wasting her time. Grant was head over heels in love with Daisy Lee. Jason started squeezing through the crowd towards them when a huge cheer went up over at the bar.

Jason turned, and his face split into a grin. He was glad his older brother couldn't see him at the moment, because what he was looking at now was making his heart race.

Daisy Lee was up on the bar with the scantily clad dancers. Jason changed direction, worming his way through sweaty bodies, up to the bar where Daisy was. He could feel the music pounding in his chest as he watched Daisy start to dance, completely transfixed by the sight.

Because, damn, girl... Daisy had _moves. _

Daisy was working it like it was her job. If she had been dressed like the other dancers, her panties would have been stuffed full of dollar bills. Hell, even though she was fully clothed, other drunk, horny morons were still waving dollar bills at her.

Daisy ignored them all. She was lost in her own world. She swung her hips, hands in the air. She tossed her long, silvery blonde hair in the most sensual way possible. The way those tresses caught the light... stunning. She sparkled under the flashing lights of the club, as if someone had dumped a jar of glitter on her head.

Jason cheered and pumped his fists in the air. He might have shouted something encouraging, but later he couldn't remember what he'd said.

Daisy seemed to recognize his voice. She looked around for him, while wrapping a leg around one of the stripper poles, twirling around and causing another round of cheers from the drunken bar patrons. Her skin glowed rose red, lime green, pale blue.

Finally, she spotted him in the crowd. Daisy's face lit up and she spun around on the bar, shaking her well toned ass. Jason felt something stir in his chest as he watched her swaying hips and shapely legs moving to the beat of the music.

_This is just for me. She's shaking it just for me. _

Liza would never do something like this. She was too proper. Jason loved Daisy's spontaneous, fun nature. If both of them hadn't been wasted, this might not have happened. Daisy might not have gotten up on the bar, and Jason may not have gone over to stare avidly at her as if she were the most captivating thing he could imagine.

But she did. And he did.

Jason was glad none of the others had seen this yet. He wanted to savor it for a little while longer by himself. If he were sober, he might have felt badly. But as it was, he just wanted to watch Daisy dance. And she did, and she did it well. Jason felt himself start to move, as if he were dancing with her.

But then he saw her slip. Somebody had spilled their drink, and Daisy had slipped in it. Her sexy high heeled boots offered her almost no traction. Jason saw her face light up with surprise as she fell forward, throwing her arms out in front of her to catch herself.

Jason stepped forward, moving faster than he ever imagined he could while totally fucked up. He reached out, and Daisy crashed into him. Her arms automatically went around his neck as Jason stumbled, struggling to hold her up. Her sweet smelling hair got in his mouth.

"Whoa!" she squealed, trying to keep herself upright. Jason pulled her hair out of his mouth, keeping Daisy's body steady as she tried to stand up on both feet. There were a bunch of disappointed groans from the bar patrons. Daisy laughed softly while trying to catch her breath.

"You okay?" Jason asked, still holding onto her hips. She seemed a little wobbly.

"Great," Daisy said breathlessly. She smiled at him. "Thanks, Jason!"

"No problem," Jason said, releasing her hips. He'd intended to back away then, but Daisy leaned forward and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"You're sweet," Daisy said, beaming at him. Jason didn't know what to say. Even in his intoxicated state, he felt a little bad for hollering at her like a drunken buffoon while she was up there dancing.

"Baby!" came Grant's deep voice from behind them. Jason jumped. Grant muscled his way through the crowd, his thick arm encircling Daisy's slim shoulders. "You okay, baby?"

Daisy flashed her glorious white smile up at him.

"I'm fine, thanks to Jason," Daisy said, winking at him. She snuggled into Grant's broad chest.

Grant clasped Jason's shoulder with his big paw of a hand.

"Thanks, bro," Grant said seriously. Jason chuckled uneasily, feeling a little guilty for his inappropriate thoughts about his brother's girlfriend.

"No problem," Jason said, sounding like a broken record. Grant and Daisy walked off, hand in hand. Jason, hoping to blanket his feelings, went to find another shot. If he was lucky, in a few minutes he could forget all about the way he had hoped Daisy had been dancing for him...

/

Jason was exhausted. He'd ridden an ATV in the dark all the way to the crazy doctor's house in the hopes of seeing a familiar face. Maybe then he could finally get some sleep...

Trying to sleep in the Rakyat village hadn't gone well. Jason had woken up to a drunk teenage girl trying to crawl into bed with him, her hand on his crotch as she squeezed him through his pants.

_Uh, listen, you're really pretty, but could you please get your hand off my dick? Okay, thanks._

Jason dismounted the ATV, his legs threatening to give out. The last few days had taken something out of him.

Jason had been searching high and low for his other friends but with very little success... he was starting to lose hope. The only thing he'd accomplished so far was littering the island with bodies. He was starting to feel a little... strange. This place was messing with him, he didn't feel like himself anymore. He'd killed so many people, his sense of horror had been completely numbed. Jason didn't know what he was becoming.

Jason felt like he was losing his mind.

Daisy, he needed to see Daisy... seeing Daisy and hearing her voice would help, he hoped.

Jason crept into the cave where the doctor was hiding Daisy. The boat she'd been repairing loomed in front of him, sad and silent. The only light in the cavern came from a tiny fire by the water. A small two person tent had been set up by the fire. Jason could just make out Daisy's slender form curled up on top of a sleeping bag inside the tent.

As the young man approached the fire, he noticed something that made his stomach flip over. A second sleeping bag was rolled out in the tent next to her. Was she expecting him? But then he spotted something else... Daisy was sleeping with her hand tightly gripping a wrench.

_Will she bash my brains in with that wrench if she wakes up to me sleeping next to her?_

Jason decided to chance it. He very much needed this small piece of comfort. And Daisy was all he had right now. He'd saved her from the poison with those mushrooms, so hopefully she wouldn't kill him for sleeping so close to her.

Jason quietly removed his gear and weapons, placing them carefully on the ground. Then he crawled in through the tiny door of the tent, lying down on his side facing Daisy.

The silence of the cave pressed in on him. In this tiny tent, the only thing he could hear was Daisy's quiet breathing. This close to her, Jason felt his stress leaving him. As he watched her sleeping peacefully, Jason had the sudden, bizarre urge to stroke her pale arm... It would feel so good to have that soft human contact right now.

_Snap out of it, Jason. When you rescue Liza, you can touch her. Liza will hold you and kiss you and all that mushy stuff. Daisy doesn't want you touching her. _

Jason sighed and Daisy's eyes snapped open. She seemed a little startled to find him there next to her, but at least she didn't freak out.

"Jason?" Daisy whispered. Jason's heart skipped a beat as her free hand reached out to touch his arm, as if checking to make sure he was real. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Jason said in a low voice. "I'm good. Just, uh... wanted to sleep."

"I thought you were sleeping in the village?" Daisy questioned him softly, her eyelashes fluttering.

"I was. But this drunk chick was molesting me," Jason confessed.

Daisy giggled, pulling her wrench closer to her. Jason realized that she must have been sleeping with that thing to try and protect herself. The young man suddenly felt bad for leaving her here alone with nobody but a stoned doctor for company. He had to find the others, and fast.

"Bet you loved that," Daisy said, grinning playfully at him.

"Not really," Jason replied, feeling himself smiling too. "She was pretty rough."

"Mm," Daisy said vaguely, sounding half asleep. "Don't worry, you're safe with me."

Daisy's cold hand reached out and grasped his own. Jason felt his pulse pick up. He had started to associate cool skin with living flesh. He'd seen so much death lately, and rotting corpses on this island were hot and rancid.

Daisy's cool hand was like the touch of life.

Still seemingly half asleep, Daisy let her hand rest on top of his. Her eyes drifted shut again. Jason stared unashamedly at the curve of her cheek, at her blonde eyelashes, at her pretty lips which were slightly parted, begging to be kissed...

Jason shook his head to clear it. Coming here was obviously a big mistake, because now another kind of strange feeling was welling up in his chest. He should have just taken his chances with the drunk teenage girl in the village. Lying here with Daisy's cool hand touching his own was another kind of madness altogether.

"Promise not to molest me?" Jason asked, wondering if she was asleep already. But apparently she wasn't, because her lips curved back up into a smile.

"I promise," she whispered to him. She gave his hand a squeeze and withdrew her arm, tucking it against her slim torso. "I'm glad you're here," she added so quietly Jason almost missed it.

_Stay with me. Don't leave me. I think I'm losing my mind. _

Jason closed his eyes, trying to focus his thoughts. He forced himself to think about what was important right now. Daisy was here, she was going to help him. If he could just find everyone else, then they could flee the island in Daisy's boat.

He couldn't fail. But there was just something about this place...

/

The beach was beautiful at night.

Jason wasn't sure why he hadn't run right back to Citra after he'd broken it off with Liza and told the rest of his friends he wouldn't be coming back to Santa Monica with them. Maybe he just needed a minute to say goodbye to his old life, so he'd gone down to the shore behind the doctor's house.

It hadn't been easy, that was for sure. And he'd miss them, but this was something he had to do. Citra had shown him his place in the world. He was a warrior now. He didn't need any condescending girlfriend offering him some low paying job while she went off to be a big Hollywood star. Here, he was powerful on his own.

Even so... he was somewhat surprised by how easily his friends had been able to let him go. Well, almost all of them. The boys had been fairly willing to let him walk his own path, but the girls... Liza had broken down and cried, and as for Daisy...

Daisy had been pissed. He could see it in her eyes as soon as he'd said he wasn't leaving with them. There was anger in her eyes to match his own. He was glad she had been too distracted by comforting Liza to chew him out very much.

Jason sat down in the sand, staring up at the full moon. The moon seemed closer here... sometimes he felt like it might fall out of the sky and crush him. He wasn't sure how long he sat there, listening to the waves, saying goodbye to his old life. His biggest regret was that his mother would have to live without all her boys now...

But then he thought of Daisy, and his regret intensified painfully. He remembered lying by her side... Jason stubbornly pushed that memory away.

Daisy... weren't you the one who told me that whoever killed Grant deserved to die? I feel the same way. Why don't you understand? I thought you of all people would get it... I need to kill Vaas and Hoyt. They took my brothers from me. I'll watch them die at my feet.

So it was a cruel twist of fate in Jason's opinion when the very girl he'd just been thinking about sauntered down the beach towards him, seemingly lost in her own little world.

Sitting in the sand, Jason watched as Daisy stumbled down over the rocks. She didn't seem to see him, and Jason sat stock still, hoping she wouldn't notice him.

The moonlight lit up her hair, making it glow silver. She was like a moon goddess come down from heaven. A very angry moon goddess... Daisy picked up a stone and chucked it at the water with a frustrated howl.

She fell to her knees in the sand, then kicked off her high heeled boots. For a while Jason just watched her as she absentmindedly traced patterns in the sand by her feet.

"Grant... what should I do?" he heard her whisper to the moon. "I can't just leave Jason here..."

Jason immediately felt guilt assail him. His choices were hurting his friends... But he had to do this. He heard Daisy laughing quietly to herself.

"I know what you'd do... you'd kick his ass and drag him back home..." Daisy said, crawling over to the water. She dipped her hands in the clear water, washing her bare arms of all the oil and dirt. "But I can't..."

Jason's eyes widened in shock as Daisy slowly began stripping off the rest of her clothes. First she peeled off her jeans, then shed her purple tank top. She stood in her underwear before him, her pale skin shining in the moonlight. Jason wanted to look away, but found himself fixated on Daisy's body dressed in nothing but a lacy black bra and matching thong.

Daisy waded into the swallow water and scrubbed her flat stomach and toned legs.

"Those people are using him, I just know it... He's going to get hurt," Daisy mumbled, trailing her hands through the water, swishing it around.

Jason couldn't stand eavesdropping on her anymore and he stood up to leave. Unfortunately it was dark and quiet, and he slipped on a stone. Daisy's head jerked up and her icy blue eyes locked onto him.

"Jason?" she said, frowning. She folded her arms over her chest. "What are you still doing here? Getting cold feet?" she spat furiously.

"No," Jason growled, but he couldn't be too mad at Daisy. She had been Grant's girl... that made her almost like family.

"I can't believe you just did that..." Daisy said, coming out of the water. She began drying herself on a ragged old towel. "Broke up with Liza like that..."

Jason wanted to harden his heart, he really did. He was Citra's warrior now. He was a demon. He had no place in civilized society anymore. But when Daisy looked at him like that... it made him wish there were another way.

"It never would have worked between us anyway..." Jason said, kicking at the sand. "I have a place here. On this island, I'm not just a fucking nobody, okay?"

Daisy paused in toweling off her flawless body. Her icy blue eyes thawed just a little bit.

"Is that what you think?" she said softly. "That she thought you were some kind of loser?"

"I know she did!" Jason snarled. "She would have gone off to Hollywood and left me in the dust."

Daisy put a hand to her head like she had a sudden headache.

"And that's why you're doing this? Because you feel like a nobody?" Daisy whispered.

"I told you, I have a place here. I'm a warrior," Jason spat, hand clenched around his knife.

Daisy nodded like the world made sense to her now. She wrapped her ragged towel around her skinny frame. And in a minute, she had swept up to him, her face the very picture of calm.

"You had a place with us," Daisy said, reaching out to touch his face. Jason flinched away from her touch. He didn't want anyone making him doubt his decision now. And yet somehow... Daisy made him doubt himself.

Daisy was taking his silence for anger. He couldn't blame her, really.

"I understand why you're angry, Jason..." Daisy murmured. "Grant always wanted you to find your own way in life, but I'm not sure this is the right way..."

Jason pushed her hand away. But he didn't let go. He just wanted to stop her from touching him so gently, so he held her hand tightly.

"Weren't you the one who told me that whoever killed Grant deserved to die?" Jason hissed, leaning in slightly. Now Daisy was the one who flinched away from him. Jason let his breath out. He hadn't wanted this conversation at all. But now that he was in it... this wasn't the last impression that he wanted to leave with Daisy.

"I loved Grant too," Daisy said, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "And Jason, you may not believe me, but... I'm angry too. But we need to go home. Please."

This whole being heartless thing was a lot harder than he'd anticipated. Especially when it was Daisy standing here crying... why hadn't Liza's tears had this effect on him?

"I can't," Jason said harshly, pushing her hand away. "I can't leave yet." Quiet tears dripped down Daisy's cheeks.

"You can't... or you won't?" Daisy questioned him softly. Such a simple statement gave him pause. For a moment Jason simply stood there, listening to the waves lapping against the shore.

"Maybe one day I'll come back to Santa Monica," the young man added halfheartedly. He locked eyes with Daisy. "But I'm not done here, Daisy. I need you to take the others and get them out of here once the boat's ready. Can you do that for me?"

Daisy nodded, and before Jason could move, she'd thrown her arms around him, squeezing him tightly. Jason stood stiffly, his muscles tense as she hugged him. He managed to hug her back awkwardly. Jason didn't say anything for a minute, he just let Daisy hold him. It felt good.

Eventually she pulled back, seeming to release him very reluctantly. Then she did something else... planted a big, wet kiss right on his unshaven cheek.

This wasn't a hasty kiss like she'd given him after he'd caught her jumping down from the bar at the club. They weren't drunk and at a party, surrounded by their friends. Here, they were stone cold sober, all alone, and under the moonlight... Here on the beach, Jason really got a good sense of how soft her lips were...

He was disappointed when she pulled away.

"Go, then..." she said, obviously trying to keep the bitterness in her voice to a minimum. "Do whatever it is you have to do, Jason."

Jason nodded stiffly. With one last look of regret, Daisy turned from him, scooping up her clothes and sauntering back down the beach and up into the cave.

"Daisy..." Jason murmured to her footprints in the sand. "I'll come back someday."


	2. Chapter 2

Jason knew he was a dead man. So why was his heart still beating?

The sea salt was spraying in his face as the creaky old boat puttered its way through the waves. Daisy had done the impossible. She'd made this piece of junk seaworthy again. Jason was crouched down by the bow of the boat, listening to the sound of the waves. The gentle sounds of water lapping against the rusty hull of the boat seemed to soothe the edgy young man.

Jason could hear his friends talking in low voices at the back of the boat. Liza was sitting on the railing, staring at the clear blue water, stubbornly avoiding his gaze. He couldn't blame her, really… he'd held a knife to her throat just hours ago. Granted, he'd been drugged out of his mind at the time, but still… that wasn't exactly good boyfriend behavior.

_I would never have done it, Liza… Never. Even drugged, I never would hurt you. Any of you._

He focused on his friends to avoid letting his mind stray towards dark thoughts. He wasn't sure how much blood he had on his hands now… how many showers would he have to take to wash it all away?

He saw Keith whisper something to Liza, and both of them quickly glanced at Jason and then away. Jason sighed. He felt like a caged animal, like a rabid dog. His friends, even his younger brother, were obviously all afraid of him now… afraid that if they went near him, he'd bite. Maybe they thought that at any moment, he'd start foaming at the mouth and turn feral.

Oliver had a knife tucked in his belt. Maybe for self-defense, maybe as a means to put Jason down if it came to it. Jason found he barely cared.

He wanted to comfort Liza, but he wasn't sure he knew how. He didn't feel like he should be around normal people anymore. He wiggled the fingers on his left hand, frowning at the stump that used to be a useful digit. Eventually looking at his disfigured hand became too difficult, and Jason let his eyes wander.

Daisy wasn't part of the group near the stern. The perky blonde was at the wheel, her face set as she steered them towards the mainland. It was still miles and miles away, just an inky blob on the horizon. And this boat was slow as molasses.

Jason pinched his eyes shut, his right hand rubbing at the warrior tattoos on his left arm. He could feel where the skin was charred. It was no ordinary tattoo. There would be no getting this removed. He'd been branded for life.

The young daredevil wondered what Grant would think if he could see him as he was now… would his brother be proud of his strength? Would Grant be grateful to him for rescuing their friends… and Daisy, the girl he'd loved? Or would he be horrified at all the blood on Jason's hands?

_I couldn't just let them die, Grant… I couldn't. I had to do something. Hey bro, if you're listening… could you help me out here? I'm so angry and I don't know what the fuck I'm doing anymore._

He wasn't sure how long he sat there, trying to shut out the world, when he felt something brush the side of his face. He jumped, his eyes snapping open, his hand lashing out and grabbing at the first thing he saw. His fingers closed around someone's tiny wrist.

"Jason…"

Daisy Lee was leaning over him, her face surrounded by a fiery glow as the sun set behind her. Her big blue eyes were looking at him with concern, a few stray hairs had escaped from her ponytail. A long scratch trailed down her cheek.

Beautiful, Jason thought, but then immediately squashed that feeling. Daisy had been his brother's girlfriend. Jason respected his brother and he respected Daisy.

Didn't change the fact that she was more beautiful than the sunset behind her.

Jason quickly released her wrist, but Daisy was barely phased. She didn't yell at him, she didn't freak out. She just rubbed her wrist. Jason cursed and looked away, hating how quickly he still resorted to violence, even against an innocent girl…

He felt her hand touch his shoulder as she eased herself onto the ground next to him. She was so close, Jason could feel the heat from her body. His brother Riley was steering the boat now, but Jason caught his younger brother stealing nervous glances at the two of them. Like he thought Jason would hurt her…

"What's up?" Jason croaked. His voice sounded weird, like he was choking on his words.

"I thought I'd ask you that," Daisy said easily. "You've been really quiet this whole ride."

Jason didn't know what to say. She was too close to him, she was much too close… It felt good, but he knew it wasn't right.

"Liza hates me," Jason growled, clenching his fists. He sat there staring at the back of his girlfriend's head for a moment. Liza was still refusing to look at him. He felt something touching him again… Daisy's long fingered hands were slowly undoing his clenched fists for him. She smoothed his left hand out, then laced her fingers with his, including his mangled stump.

"Um, I…" Jason began, suddenly no longer thinking about blood, or pirates, or Liza… all that existed anymore was Daisy's soft but scratched hand in his. Working on repairing that boat had done a number on her smooth skin.

Jason's eyes locked with hers. A coy smile was playing at the corner of her mouth. The young man could see why Grant liked her so much, even though she'd been so much younger than him. Besides being absolutely stunning, she had a certain strength of spirit. She was the first one among their group to escape the pirates. And she'd been the only one, besides himself, who had been of any help in getting off the island.

He realized he was staring and looked back at Liza. She was _still _refusing to look at him. Jason's temper, which was lurking just below the surface, flared up. Why couldn't she just give him another chance? Did she ever really love him at all?

"She doesn't hate you," Daisy whispered, squeezing his hand.

"She won't even look at me!" Jason spat, his fingers unconsciously tightening around Daisy's.

"Jason," Daisy said, a little more insistently that time. "No one hates you. They just don't know what to say."

Jason considered that silently. He supposed he was different now. He'd gone from an innocent, fun loving guy to a merciless killer. How were they supposed to handle that?

Daisy seemed to be doing okay…And that was even after considering all that he'd confessed to her in that cave. That he was enjoying all the killing. It had made him feel strong, like some kind of hero or something. And now... he knew better. Now he knew he was a monster. He realized with a jolt that he was still tightly hanging onto the blonde girl's hand. He supposed he needed someone to hang onto while his whole world fell apart.

"How do you know?" Jason asked, still gazing at their interlocked fingers. Daisy shrugged her slender shoulders.

"I just do," she said gently. "I know you must be thinking you're a horrible person, but you're not. You're still Jason Brody, daredevil and idiot extraordinaire."

"Gee, thanks."

"No problem," she said lightly, winking at him. "I do owe you my life. It's the least I could do."

That's right, Jason thought. I went into those caves filled with goddamn magic mushrooms for you. To find ingredients that would save your life.

You were too precious for me to let you die.

Jason could feel his heart beating against his ribs. Here, on this rust bucket of a boat, with Daisy Lee holding his hand, he felt something again. Some kind of emotion besides anger was trying to surface in his mind.

He felt the muscles in his face trying to remember how to smile.

"Are you trying to smile?" Daisy asked, quirking an eyebrow at him. "When was the last time you smiled, Jason? You look like you have lockjaw."

Jason laughed. He actually laughed.

"That's what I've been needing to hear," Daisy whispered, letting go of his hand. "The Jason I remember liked to laugh."

"Haven't had much to laugh about lately..." Jason said, letting his train of thought go unfinished.

_Since Grant died._

Some of what he was thinking must have shown on his face. Or maybe Daisy just knew him too well, because her smile was a little melancholy as she looked at him.

He wished she hadn't let go of his hand.

"I miss him too," she said, bringing her knees up to her chest. She closed her eyes and let her head rest on her knees.

She was a great girl and Jason knew it. His heart twisted as he looked at her. She was alone now, with nobody to look out for her, but she'd looked out for all of them. She'd found a way to save them from the island all by herself.

Grant had been especially protective of Daisy. But Daisy was not normally the damsel in distress type. She swam professionally, so her body was thin but strong. She was also intelligent, having just finished her master's degree to be a physician's assistant. But still, she'd always been glad to have Grant looking out for her.

And now Grant was gone, and Daisy had nobody to watch over her, to keep her safe.

_She could have you..._ whispered the devil in his head.

Jason furiously clamped down on the thought, forcing it down into his subconscious. It wasn't right, thinking these thoughts about Daisy when she had just lost Grant last week... and he was still technically with Liza, though he wasn't sure how much longer that was going to last now. Liza seemed like she wanted nothing to do with him anymore.

Besides, he wasn't sure he knew exactly what love was.

Even so... he had to try and be a good man. He couldn't go back to the vapid idiot he'd been, but he could maybe still be a decent enough guy if he cleaned up his act...

Jason hesitantly patted Daisy on the back. He'd refused to slaughter his friends when Citra had tried to force him into it. He clung to that memory, that last piece of sanity he had left... the last bit of evidence that he was still, somewhere inside him, a good person. He knew now that Citra had been just as crazy as her brother. Jason couldn't be that way, not anymore.

_Killing isn't love. You said you loved me, but you were too wrapped up in your own madness to love anybody!_

"Thanks, Jason," Daisy murmured, half smiling at him. Jason patted her back once more with his mangled hand, then withdrew it. "I hope I still get to see you when we get home."

Jason felt his heart spasm in his chest.

_I hope I still get to see you too. _

That was when he heard the hum of other boat motors. Frowning, Jason stood up, looking back towards Rook Island. Small speed boats were racing after them, gaining quickly on their sluggish fishing boat.

_No... no, no, no!_

"Riley, can't this thing go any faster?" Jason shouted. Riley looked back and Jason saw him turn pale. Daisy ran to the helm and stared flipping switches. The boat lurched forward a little bit faster, but nowhere near fast enough.

The boats surrounded them. The others, obviously scared out of their minds, ducked down as far as they could go. Jason, still standing at the bow, jumped when he realized that Daisy was back at his side, her face empty of emotion.

That blank look on her face almost broke him.

It was like she was resigned to her fate. She'd been in the hands of pirates before. Who knew what those fuckers had done to her before she'd gotten away from them? He couldn't let that happen again... to any of them.

Even as he was thinking that, pirates threw ropes from their boats like they were lassoing cattle. All the friends screamed and jumped out of the way except for Jason and Daisy. A rope caught Jason, but he wiggled his knife into his hand and cut himself free. Daisy hadn't been so lucky. She'd dodged most of the ropes, but one had snagged around her wrist as she'd tried to shield herself. She barely had time to let out a surprised gasp before the rope tightened and she was hauled over the edge. Jason heard a small splash as she hit the water.

"Daisy!" Jason cried, watching the girl flying overboard. He bolted to the side of the boat. She had momentarily disappeared under the water, but Daisy was a strong swimmer and she surfaced a second later. Unfortunately, she couldn't get the rope off from around her arm, and the pirates were reeling her in like she was a fish they'd caught.

She didn't scream for help. She didn't cry. She just struggled with that rope around her wrist while also keeping herself from going under. But for one horrible, gut wrenching second, her eyes locked onto his, and he saw her terror.

_Please, Jason... please don't let them take me._ That was what she was saying.

Jason felt heat rising in his chest, heard his blood rushing in his ears. Was he really going to let Daisy get taken, even though it seemed like Daisy was the only one they were after? In his mind, he saw Daisy touching his face on the beach. He could hear her voice assuring him that he had a place with them... He saw Daisy's fingers interlocked with his.

Oh hell no...

Jason glanced back at his brother, who was standing paralyzed with fear at the wheel, having completely given up trying to steer them to safety.

"Riley!" Jason shouted. "You've got to step up, Riley! Get them out of here!"

Riley looked at him, his face as white as chalk. But then he nodded stiffly.

Daisy was halfway to the boat now, still fighting against the inevitable pull of the rope as the pirates dragged her in.

"We got her!" one of them howled triumphantly.

"Oh no you don't!" Jason screamed. He whipped his pistol out of its holster. He didn't hesitate when it came time to pull the trigger. His aim had only gotten better... pirates fell dead into the water. Daisy shrieked in alarm as bodies fell around her.

"I'm coming!" Jason called frantically. The others had learned their lesson, and were ducking down behind the edges of the boat... and yet that rope continued to pull Daisy farther away from him.

Jason did what he felt was the only logical choice. He dove into the water. But he immediately knew he was in trouble... he wasn't quite as practiced at swimming as Daisy, and his weapons were only weighing him down. The water out here was a lot rougher...

Jason swam for all he was worth. He was nearing Daisy... she reached out a long, thin hand toward him, hope shining in her eyes.

"Hang on, Daisy!" Jason growled. He reached out his four fingered hand, salt water stinging the stump where his finger used to be...

A rope caught him around the neck. Jason sputtered, his hands going to his neck, tugging at the rope that was slowly strangling him. The rope tightened, and Jason was pulled off course. The pirates were reeling him in too, laughing cruelly as Jason struggled to draw a breath and keep himself afloat.

"No, Jason!" Daisy gasped, fighting to get to him. She groaned as a pirate gave a particularly hard tug on her rope. Jason wouldn't have been surprised if it dislocated her shoulder.

"Bastards," Jason howled, kicking and thrashing. "Let her go!"

Daisy had been hauled all the way to the pirates' boat despite her best efforts. Hands reached down and snatched her out of the water. Jason saw her get one good hit in on the first guy to grab her. The guy's nose started bleeding. But then she disappeared as three thugs forced her to the ground.

Jason wasn't aware of ceasing his struggle against the rope. The next thing he knew, his good hand was clenched around somebody's arm, hauling them into the water. Then he was flying out of the water like a bat out of hell, springing into the boat, his foot connecting with somebody's face.

"That's enough," said a voice behind him. He heard the click of a gun.

Jason blinked. His hands were bloody, his knife buried in a pirate's neck. He turned his head slightly. A muzzle of a gun was inches from his face.


	3. Chapter 3

The boats headed back to their base. Jason had been separated from Daisy and bound in ropes. They had his hands tied behind his back and his arms pinned to his sides by bindings constricting his chest. It seemed like the pirates knew all about his reputation so they weren't taking any chances.

"Daisy!" Jason screamed, thrashing in his bonds as he watched the pirates haul Daisy ashore. "Let her go! You want me, just leave her alone!"

The leader of the group laughed heartlessly at Jason's fearful outburst. He was a big brute of a man with muddy brown eyes and skin that was scarred from sun damage. But when Jason looked at him, he could tell... this guy wasn't crazy like Vaas or Hoyt, or even himself. But there was a sick, savage light in his eyes all the same.

"You must have an oversized ego, kid," the leader sneered at him. "Not everything's about you. Maybe... we want the girl that got away."

The big, brutish man leered at Daisy. Jason felt heat rising in his neck. The guy sauntered over to where one of his drones was holding Daisy prisoner, a jagged knife at her throat. Jason could see the fear in her sapphire eyes.

Jason watched helplessly as the brute looked Daisy up and down like he was examining a piece of meat. He reached out a big thick hand and slipped it down the front of her shirt. Daisy shifted as far away as she could with someone holding a knife to her throat.

"None of that, now," the brute hissed, squeezing her breast.

"Get your hands off her!" Jason snarled. The leader ignored him.

"If you hadn't run away, we wouldn't have had to do this..." the man said, almost as if he were genuinely sorry that Daisy had escaped from them. "You just had to stay with us, girl, and we would have let the rest of your friends go..."

"Liar," Daisy hissed. "You'd have sold them just the same."

That was the Daisy he knew... the girl who took no shit from anybody, not even Grant. The brute chuckled, pulling his hand from her shirt.

"Smart girl..." he said, now stroking the side of her face. "But we wouldn't have sold you, girl. Would we, boys?"

The men laughed darkly. Jason felt like he could spit fire. The anger in his soul was pushing at his psyche, threatening to overtake his all his senses.

Then the leader stepped closer, taking the knife from the drone's hand and tucking it in his belt. Then he grabbed Daisy's wrists, yanking her toward him. She resisted for all she was worth, but it was no good. The guy was too strong for her. He smashed his mouth over hers, kissing her brutally, savagely.

"Stop it!" Jason screamed.

"We'd have kept you until you learned to like it," the brute said, his mouth inches from hers.

"Fuck you!" Daisy screamed in his face.

In a flash, the monster back handed her across the face, and Daisy landed sprawled in the dirt at Jason's feet.

"Daisy!" Jason moaned. He felt his own blood trickling down his palms, his wrists rubbed raw from the ropes. The tip of a knife touched his cheek.

"You want her that bad, boy?" the pirate leader growled, his disgusting breath nearly making Jason gag.

That pressing emotion, the one that had been trying to claw its way out of Jason's mind, reared its head again as Jason stared at Daisy Lee lying shaking before him. The young man wanted to tear through these ropes that bound him and rip this fucking asshole limb from limb. He wanted to feel enemy blood dribbling through his fingers as his knife pierced that pirate's heart. He wanted death.

But he also wanted to hold Daisy and whisper gentle things to her. He wanted to bandage her wounds. He wanted to kiss away her pain.

The conflicting emotions in his head made him dizzy. He wasn't supposed to want those things with Daisy...

The pirate leader was apparently taking his silence for fear.

"What's the matter, pretty boy? Scared?" he hissed in Jason's face.

Scared? Of you? Jason growled in his head. I killed Vaas. I killed Hoyt. And you think I'm scared of you? Some no name lowlife?

The pirate grunted and withdrew the knife.

"Take her," he snarled, gesturing at his two drones. The bigger one leaned down and hefted Daisy in his arms, tossing her over his shoulder and strolling off as if she were a sack of potatoes. Daisy groaned, but once she realized what was happening, she started to struggle. She clawed at the pirate's back, writhing like a snake.

"Put me down!" she screaming, blonde hair flying.

"Daisy, don't worry!" Jason shouted after her. "I won't let them hurt you!"

The leader's fist connected with the side of his face. Jason crumpled in his bindings, his head spinning.

"Don't think you're off the hook, Snow White," the brute growled. "You've caused us no end of problems."

"If I'm Snow White, what does that make you guys?" Jason croaked. "The seven dwarfs?"

"You got spunk, kid," the scarred face man growled, his steel tipped book slammed into Jason's side, forcing the air from his lungs. "But you'd better pray you're worth as much as you think you are... or we'll make you watch while we have some fun with your little girlfriend..."

"Shithead," Jason wheezed, the ropes starting to constrict his chest after all the struggling he'd done. "If you touch her, I'll fucking spill your guts on the ground."

The drones frowned at their leader.

"I dunno, Jay," one of them said to the leader. "This one's already turned feral. We should go back for the others."

"No," Jay snapped at the underling. "We just have to break him. Imagine how much someone would pay for him with his skills..."

"Boss, can we have the girl?" another guy asked, an ugly leer on his face.

"You can try," the leader sneered at them. "I imagine she won't be easy to tame either..."

Jason started howling and snarling and struggling, spitting out cuss words at lightning speed.

"You are all fucking _dead_!" he howled, despite the ropes slowly strangling him.

The next thing Jason knew, his world went dark.

/

The pirates stared at the young man they'd just knocked unconscious. Even blacked out he still looked pissed, like he was dreaming of killing. Nobody moved to go take advantage of Daisy, though the boss had said they could. They'd heard about Jason's reputation. If this kid got loose... well, it would not end well for them.

"Kid's a piece of work," one guy said eventually. "Let's just sell him to the next rich bastard who comes along. We got the girl, we don't need him."

Jay folded his arms across his chest, suddenly looking thoughtful. The pirate's eyes traveled from the bullet hole in Jason's arm to his bandaged stump.

"We should kill him," another brute said, fingering his gun. "He'd kill us."

"Bunch of cowards," Jay sneered at them. He pointed at Jason's stump. "Kid took down Hoyt, and you wanna just kill him? We should use him."

"What makes you think he'll listen to you?" a pirate said dismissively. "Kid's nuts."

Jay laughed, pointing in the direction of Daisy's furious protests. The girl had a set of lungs on her.

"We've got the girl he wants..." the pirate leader said, his eyes darkening. "His poor dead brother's girlfriend... Oh, he'll listen alright."

The pirates still looked doubtful.

"It ain't gonna work, Jay," one of them said. "Let's just sell him."

"I told you, we just need to break him," the pirate leader said forcefully. "Everyone has their breaking point."

No, the kid was not off the hook, not by a long shot...

Bullets and knives hadn't broken him. Losing family hadn't broken him. This island hadn't broken him. But Jay knew exactly what was going to break the boy now...


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: story will get a bit darker from this point on. hope anyone reading is enjoying it. remember, rated mature for a reason. and again, apologies if you find the content to be in bad taste.

/

Jason could see his brother walking towards him. Was he dreaming?

"Grant," Jason choked out.

Grant looked just as he had when he was alive, tall and muscular and strong. His brown hair was buzzed so short it was almost non existent. But his brother's easy smile appeared on his face. Despite being a military man, Grant had always been such an easy going guy.

"Hey, bro," Grant said.

Jason felt like he'd swallowed a rock. The lump stuck in his throat.

"I'm sorry," he managed to wheeze.

"It's not your fault, Jason," Grant said, shaking his head. "I'm the one who should be sorry..."

"About what?" Jason said, completely thrown off.

Grant's shoulders sagged.

"I left you guys alone... you and Riley... I promised Mom I'd look after you," Grant said sadly. "And Daisy... I left her."

Jason's chest felt as if it were still being constricted by ropes which were slowly strangling him... he couldn't breathe.

"Grant, I..."

Then Grant looked up, and Jason had the worst feeling of vulnerability wash over him, as if his brother could see into his soul. He could hide nothing from his older brother, not his pain, not horrible deeds, not his anger, not his feelings... Jason wanted to tell Grant that he wasn't so sure about being with Liza anymore. He wanted to say that Daisy... Daisy made him feel again.

But he felt as if Grant already knew.

"Jason... You've grown strong. And you've learned," he said seriously.

Jason shivered. Grant knew everything. He knew about all the blood on his hands.

"I need you to do one last thing for me," Grant finished.

"Anything," Jason croaked.

"Take care of them, Jason..." Grant said, his form fading into mist. "And take care of Daisy for me. Make sure she's safe."

Jason felt his heart pounding. His brother didn't hate him. He could breathe again...

"I will," he whispered as his brother's form disappeared into darkness.

"Get up, punk," a voice echoed in his head.

Jason's eyes snapped open. He was lying on his back in a small, dark cell. A dim light flickered overhead.

"We've decided to make you a deal," the voice said. In a second, Jason was on his feet, hands swiping furiously at the brutish face that was just inches from the bars. The pirate only just managed to pull his face away in time to avoid losing an eye.

"I don't want your fucking deal!" he roared. "Give me Daisy back right now and I might leave some of you alive!"

"That's what I'm talking about, kid. We could kill you right now, and you just don't fucking care."

The leader was back. But now he was looking at Jason with renewed interest. Jason simply glared at him.

"You thinned out our ranks, kid... so we've decided to offer you a second option," Jay said, sitting down on a barrel of whiskey and pulling out a rag, cleaning his knife with it. "Join us."

"I'd rather watch you die, thanks," Jason hissed. "Makes me feel better inside."

Jay snorted, pointing his knife at Jason.

"You'd be smart to take our offer, kid. We were going to let you have the girl if you did," the pirate leader said easily. That made Jason pause.

Immediately, his mind went to betrayal. If he could get the pirates thinking he was actually going to join them to save Daisy, he could slaughter them all in an instant. But he couldn't let them think he was too eager.

Jason made a sound of disgust.

"You must be dumber than you look..." Jason said scathingly. "As soon as your back was turned, I'd just stick a knife in it."

Jay slapped his knee and laughed.

"I love it, kid!" he roared. "You don't even know how crazy you are! Come on, take the deal... if you care about the girl, you'll take it. She's your brother's girlfriend, isn't she?" he added with a twisted grin.

Jason growled and slammed his fist against the bars of the cage. He glared at the pirate leader, hoping the guy could see the anger burning in his soul.

He hoped the pirate knew that as soon as he got free, they'd all be dead. He'd paint the walls red with their blood.

"Fine," Jason hissed. "Bring me Daisy, and I'll join your pathetic little gang."

A cruel grin spread across the brute's face, and Jason didn't like it.

"Oh no, that's not how this is going to work..." the guy said, a hungry look in his eye. "The girl's waiting for you. You're going to break her."

"You said you'd let me have her!" Jason snarled.

"And we will," the pirate agreed, nodding his head. "But you'll have her the way we want you to have her. It gets boring on this island... the boys want a show."

Jason had a sinking suspicion about where this conversation was heading...

"If you want me in your gang, you'll give me Daisy right now!" Jason screamed. His veins bulged out from his arms as he grasped the bars of his cage. "I'm not putting on any fucking show."

The pirate sighed like he was sad for Jason, at how uncooperative he was being.

"Kid, that big head of yours is getting in your way again. We don't need you in our group, we could just kill you now," Jay said with a shrug. Then he eyed Jason as if he were some kind of bizarre science experiment that he couldn't wait to see the outcome of.

"For whatever reason, you seem to be clinging to some twisted moral code of your own... you obviously want this girl and you haven't taken her yet. We're offering you a chance to have what you want..." he continued reasonably, trying to make his offer sound like the most rational choice.

Jason just stood there, fuming. He didn't trust himself to speak. Anything he said now might put Daisy in more danger. He didn't want any part of this fucked up offer. His ears perked up, listening for any sounds of his missing girl.

"Last chance, kid..." Jay said slowly, picking under his fingernails with his knife. "You prove to us that you can be one of us... you get the girl... everybody wins."

"And if I say no?" Jason said through gritted teeth. Jay shrugged again.

"Like I said, it gets boring around here..." the pirate said, a cruel gleam in his muddy brown eyes. "If you won't break her, the boys will."

"No!" Jason blurted out in a moment of fear.

"So, I take it that's a yes, you'll do it?" the pirate said, smirking at Jason's moment of weakness. "She's resisted us every moment... you need to soften her up..."

"Fuck you," Jason hissed, echoing Daisy's sentiment. "If I take her, then she's _mine_, you got me, asshole? Nobody else touches her."

"Fair enough, kid," the pirate said, slamming his knife back into its sheath. Jay pulled a pistol from its holster with one hand a key from his pocket with his other hand. He unlocked the door to Jason's cage and pointed his pistol at the young man.

"Move," the pirate said simply. "I still don't trust you yet, punk. One wrong move and I'll blow your head off. We'll see how much the girl likes you without your pretty face."

Jason grit his teeth and stomped out of the cell.

"Just show me where to go, shithead," Jason growled.

They walked, the pirate holding Jason at gun point. The young man was still tempted to pull something, to try and get away, but he couldn't see how he could do it without losing his head. Besides, getting his head removed before he rescued Daisy wouldn't be doing her a favor...

In his head, he began mapping the compound, looking for the best escape route. But sooner than he would have liked, he was standing before Daisy's cell. Her cell was bigger than his had been, with a dirty mattress and blanket squeezed into it. His deceased brother's girlfriend was lying naked on top of the mattress, her hands tied behind her back. Her long blonde hair had come loose from its ponytail and streamed down her back.

Daisy whipped around to look at the newcomers, hatred etched on her face, until she saw Jason. The look of anger melted from her face to be replaced by one of fear and concern.

"Jason?" she whispered, sitting up and pulling her long legs up underneath her. He saw a blush working its way up her face.

The pirate leader unlocked the door to Daisy's cell and tried to force Jason inside. Desperate, Jason whipped around, his fist striking the guy in the arm, knocking the gun away. His next hit got the guy in the nose. Jason heard a satisfying crunch as his fist smashed the pirate's face. The two of them struggled for a moment before Jason was yanked off his feet by more pirates and forced into the cell.

"Nice try, kid," Jay said, wiping his bloody nose. "You're going to be quite the asset."

"What'd you do to her?" Jason screamed at the assembled pirates, slamming into the door, trying to force it open. "You fucking touch her?"

"No," said Jay, pointing his gun into the cage, but not at Jason. He aimed his weapon at Daisy. "But you will. Unless you want her death on your conscience."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: caution, sex/rape scene here.

/

Jason's heart slammed ruthlessly against his ribs. That same heart fueled his sick desire for his brother's girlfriend. She was so beautiful lying there... But this was so wrong. How could he do this to her? Jason glanced around at the assembled pirates. Oh, right... he couldn't let any of these fuckers touch her.

"Come on, punk," one of the watchers sneered, showing his brown, nasty looking teeth. His face bore the marks of Daisy's fury. Fresh, bloody gashes, most likely from fingernails, adorned his forehead. No wonder they had tied her hands.

"Fuck off, dipshit," Jason spat, baring his teeth in a snarl. "Even if I do this, I'll still kill all of you! We'll see if you're still smiling when I plant a knife in your face!"

"Enough stalling!" Jay spat. Blood from his nose had dripped down over his lip into his mouth, staining his teeth red. Jason smirked in his head. "Break her now, or we will."

"I'm gonna kill you first," Jason snarled, pointing his mangled hand at the pirate leader. "Ever wondered what your intestines would look like wrapped around your neck?"

Jay grinned, like he loved nothing more than listening to Jason's crazed ranting. His blood stained smile was even more gruesome than it had been before.

"You would've made Vaas proud, kid," Jay said simply, blood still oozing from his nose. "You're even crazier than he was."

Jason blanched, shame fighting with his anger momentarily. It was enough to weaken him. Jay cocked the hammer of his pistol.

"Get to it," Jay said in a low voice. Jason swiftly placed himself between Daisy and the gun pointed at her.

"Don't you point that gun at her!" Jason all but screamed, blood rushing in his ears.

Jason could see Daisy's leg trembling out of the corner of his eye. He knew how she must feel... she must have felt like a piece of meat that a bunch of rabid dogs were fighting over. She knew she was about to be torn to shreds.

"I'm starting to doubt your commitment, punk," Jay said, not lowering his gun even a centimeter. "Do you want her to live or not?"

Jason growled deep in his throat, but there was nothing he could do. They were trapped... if he didn't perform, Daisy would die. Jason couldn't let her die. Not going to happen.

Jason turned to Daisy, his hands clenched at his sides. He knelt down next to her and she shuddered, but she seemed to understand what was going on. It made absolutely no sense, but somehow... her crystalline sapphire gaze was steady as she looked back at him.

"Daisy..." Jason whispered gently. He stopped there. There were no words left to try and make this right. But he had to do this to save her.

_I understand if you never forgive me for this... but I won't let you die. _

He realized this was the same rationalization he'd used when he'd tortured his own brother... but he'd saved his brother, hadn't he? He'd save Daisy, too. Then he'd turn this compound into a bloodbath.

Jason reached out and grabbed Daisy's slender hips. He pulled her towards him, wrapping those long legs around his waist. She didn't struggle much. She got it... she knew he had a plan. She'd seen enough of his brutal nature to know that once he got out of here... his vengeance would be swift and terrible.

But Jason had to stop, just for a moment... he'd never imagined that he'd get to see Daisy naked. He'd come close on the beach, but this was different. And now that he was actually seeing her... the sight of her naked form, pure and beautiful, laying before him was enough to make him pause.

_Am I doing the right thing? Is there another way?_

"Hurry up!" someone growled.

Jason's head whipped to the side, fury mounting in his chest.

"Shut the fuck up!" he spat, not happy at being interrupted. The only way he could do this was if he could forget there were a bunch of sick bastards watching him. He managed to tear his gaze off the thug's eager face. It was disgusting.

Fighting with his own fury, he carefully positioned Daisy on the dirty mattress. He didn't want to take his clothes off. He wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing him naked too. It was bad enough they'd taken Daisy's clothes.

Daisy legs trembled as they lay on top of his. She had let her head fall back on the gray blanket. Her hair surrounded her head in a pool of pale gold. Jason felt like he had a sudden onset of tetanus as he reached down to unzip his fly. His fingers were barely working. He soon realized he had a problem... his cock was nowhere near hard enough for sex.

To play for time, he massaged Daisy's hips, then gently squeezed her breasts. He glanced down at her perfect hairless slit. He knew she waxed for her swimming, so the rest of her was hairless as well. Jason liked oral sex... but never had much of a chance to practice. Liza hadn't been a big fan of it. She always insisted that she got off in other ways. Just the thought of his tongue against Daisy's sweet little clit caused a stir in his dick.

He leaned down, forcing Daisy's legs further apart. He commanded himself to ignore the excited grunts of the pirates and Daisy's obvious jolt of surprise as he pressed his face between her legs. God, she smelled so good. His tongue flicked out against her clit, making her jump again.

He paused again when he realized he was enjoying something so fucked up as this... but he couldn't stop. If it just meant sacrificing himself, he would have. But stopping now would mean sacrificing Daisy too.

_I can't do it, I can't stop. I care about you too much. _

He let his tongue trail over her most private area, watching how she reacted to his attentions... her vulva quickly became engorged with blood, pulsing gently, begging for his tongue. Jason held her down as she made what seemed like a halfhearted attempt to pull away from his eager mouth.

Daisy made some faint sound, but Jason was so absorbed in his task that he couldn't tell if it was a sound of protest or a sound of pleasure. Jason's tongue stroked her clit again and again, lapped up the sweet juices coming from her pussy. He went on like that for some time, until it seemed like Daisy was too exhausted to continue straining against him. Her body seemed like a quivering mass of jelly.

Jason's cock was rock hard... he pulled down the front his pants and cast one last scathing look around at the pirates. If looks could kill, there would have been nothing left after the expression of fury Jason gave them.

_I bet none of you even have dicks, and that's why you're making me do this._

Then he looked back down at Daisy lying beneath him, her breathing coming in short, shallow gasps. She looked back at him from heavily lidded eyes. There was some strange expression on her face, but Jason was too wrapped up in his own dark thoughts to try and figure it out. He shifted his hips back between Daisy's legs.

_I'm doing this for you. I won't let them touch you. Just me..._

He placed the head of his cock at the entrance to her warm, wet slit. Daisy's legs wrapped themselves tightly around his waist. Gritting his teeth, Jason slowly forced himself into the tight opening. Daisy made another sound Jason couldn't identify as she arched her back, pushing Jason deeper inside her.

She felt amazing. He gave her a moment to adjust to his thick cock filling her. As he started to move inside her, some dark instinct took over. He wanted this girl. His mind was sick and he wanted her this way. The rest of the world faded as Jason began fucking her in earnest, pulling out and slamming back into her, feeling her shudder with every single one of his thrusts.

Nothing else existed but her. Jason felt the heat rising between them. He loved the way her legs gripped his waist, pulling him in... he wanted to untie her hands, to feel her nails digging into his back as he rode her...

_You are mine._

Daisy's muscles squeezed his length, and it shook him to his core. His cock spasmed, pumping his semen deep inside her. After a minute of resting inside her and coming down from his high, Jason pulled out, watching his cum seeping from her pussy, dripping down her thigh. Shame burned in his guts as Daisy lay panting on the bed, completely spent.

He shoved his dick back in his pants, zipping himself back up. Disgust and self-loathing welled up inside him as he looked at Daisy. He didn't deserve to comfort her, but he tried all the same. He reached out with his good hand and stroked the outside of her thigh.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. Daisy's face had been turned away from him. But now her head rolled back towards him and he saw the look on her face. And he still couldn't place it. It wasn't angry, and it wasn't sad. Her sapphire eyes were almost entirely unfathomable.

_I'm a rapist. I'm a goddamn rapist! I already knew I was a monster, but now..._

The pirates were growling and laughing appreciatively at the sight of Daisy lying exhausted on the mattress. That pissed him off. He jumped to his feet, trying to block Daisy from sight.

"Get the hell out of here!" Jason roared, his hands shaking in his fury. His fingers were twitching at his sides as if they were itching to strangle somebody. "Don't even fucking look at her!"

Somebody laughed again, and Jason lashed out at them, his hand shooting through the bars of the cage. His fist connected with the guy's jaw and sent him reeling back.

"Enough, kid," Jay growled, stepping out of the shadows.

"Well?" Jason barked, baring his teeth at the brute. He was still half crouched, half standing in front of Daisy, trying to hide her. "I did it, you sick fuck. Nobody else gets her."

Jay smirked.

"Oh that's good, coming from you," he said, fishing his keys out of his pocket. Jason bit his tongue to stop himself from spitting out a bitter retort.

Jay unlocked the door to the cage, and motioned with his pistol for Jason to exit the cell. Jason took one last glance at Daisy and stepped out of the cell, his mind now working furiously to try and think of a good way to begin his slaughter. He needed a weapon.

Jay ordered most of the other thugs back to their posts. The small group that was left moved away from Daisy a bit. The leader shouted a few orders into his radio while still keeping Jason at gun point. Then Jay shot a twisted smile in Daisy's direction, lowering his gun a bit as he seemed to savor the sight of her lying there as if dead.

"Good job, kid," Jay said in slimiest voice Jason had ever heard. "Thanks for softening her up for us. You're gonna fit right in around here," he added, as if that were a compliment.

Jason grit his teeth, still biting back the retort he longed to throw in this guy's face. But he needed this idiot to think that he was weakening.

Jay turned to the other big thug in the room. Jason recognized him as the one who had dragged Daisy away from him before.

"You can have her now," Jay said indifferently, waving a hand at the exhausted girl.

That was what set him off. Those few words sent Jason back down the path of insanity.

_I said she's mine! _Jason's vision turned red.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I could probably mess with this forever and still not be totally happy with it... hmmm. Anyway here you go.

/

The guy standing next to Jason was an oblivious idiot, too busy leering at Daisy to pay attention. Jason's hand shot out like a viper and snagged the pirate leader's gun. He didn't hesitate, he pulled the trigger, blasting the no name drone straight to hell. The corpse fell at Jason's feet. A puddle of blood stained the dirt floor.

And it felt so god damn _good_.

"Wrong choice, punk!" Jay taunted him as he kicked out at Jason's legs. Jason stumbled as that steel toed boot connected with his knee, giving Jay just enough time to dash down the hall, no doubt to sound the alarms. Jason fired after him, but Jay had disappeared. Shit, now he had to move fast.

Jason snagged the keys off the dead pirate and ran back to Daisy's cell. Daisy was sitting exactly where he'd left her, curled up in the corner, her hair hanging in her face. For one scary, irrational moment, Jason feared she was dead. But no, he could still detect the faint rise and fall of her bare chest as she breathed.

"Daisy," Jason rasped, still fighting the hatred he had for himself. He couldn't let his self-loathing distract him from saving Daisy. He unlocked the door to her cell. "Come on, we're getting out of here."

Daisy stirred, and she struggled to sit up with her arms still bound behind her back. Barely ten minutes had passed since Jason had left the cell... the young man could tell she was still trying to work out how she felt about what had just occurred.

"Do you have my clothes?" Daisy whispered, getting unsteadily to her feet. Jason cussed under his breath as he averted his eyes. He was a thoughtless asshole, wanting Daisy to run out of here totally naked...

"Look around for them, I'll clear the way," he growled, snatching spare knives off the wall. Avoiding her gaze, Jason swiftly cut the ropes binding her hands. Then he dashed back down the hall.

"Jason!" Daisy called after his retreating back, but he was already halfway down the dimly lit hall. He couldn't face her again, not after what he'd done. All he could do for her now was ensure her escape.

Alarms blared throughout the compound. Ah, here was familiar territory... he could hear pirates scrabbling for weapons. Jason's hand shot out, grabbing a small object from a crate. These pathetic thugs didn't know who they were up against.

Jason Brody was dead and gone, and in his place was a bloodthirsty demon. The demon wearing Jason's skin hungered for death.

Pirates came running at him, guns drawn. They fired, but Jason dropped to the floor and slid behind a pile of crates. He pulled the pin on the grenade he'd had hidden behind his back and threw it. An explosion rocked the floor, and when the dust cleared, burned and blackened corpses were strewn all around.

Oh hell yes... these motherfuckers deserved nothing more from him. Which was a good thing, because Jason had no mercy left in him.

Jason moved down the hallway, leaving a trail of bodies behind him. He was unstoppable. Any time one of those pirates showed their ugly faces, they were met with a hail of bullets from an SMG, or a knife buried in their chest. Jason had gotten _really good_ at throwing knives.

He tossed another knife at a goon who stumbled across his path. Jason loved the thumping sound the blades made when they embedded themselves in flesh and bone. It was similar to the sound of a nail being pounded into a coffin.

_I'll put you in the ground! I'll toss you into a mass grave, like you did to me! And I'll make sure you won't crawl back out!_

Jason's hands were slick with blood. He'd run out of throwing knives and he'd had to start prying them out of corpses. The young man ripped a serrated blade out of somebody's neck, relishing his kill, watching the thug's life leaving him. He wrenched a long hunting knife from somebody's abdomen, pulling out intestines as he did so.

_I told you I'd spill your guts on the ground... _

Jason kept moving. None of these assholes would ever leave here alive.

"You're going to have to do better than that!" Jason roared as he mowed down another thug. He knew this was wrong, this was so wrong... he was a monster. A demon. But it still felt like winning. But in his haze of blood lust, he failed to notice a bulky shadow creeping up behind him until the very last second.

Some survival instinct kept him alive. He ducked just as a blade whizzed passed his head, nearly taking off his ear. The pirate leader tackled him, and both men went sprawling. Jason recovered first, grabbing for the his fallen knife. His fingers closed around the hilt, and then his mind went into a fog. Killing was automatic... he could do it without thinking, and that was exactly what happened now. Anger burned in his soul as the brute flashed his disgusting smile.

Jason raised his knife as Jay pulled another from his belt. Sparks flew as two blades clashed in that crammed hallway. Jay lunged at Jason, his knife aimed right at his chest. Jason tumbled out of the way, slashing upward, feeling his blade cutting through human flesh.

But then Jason saw Daisy (fully clothed) standing there in the hallway, her sapphire blue eyes staring at him in horror, her hands over her mouth. His concentration wavered and Jay body slammed him, sending him flying. Jason's hand, slippery with blood, lost its grip on his blade and it fell to the floor.

Then Jay's knife was at his throat. Jason desperately pushed back, forcing the knife away, slowly... too slowly. He hoped Daisy would be smart enough to run now, to save herself.

"You sure you wanna do this, kid?" Jay seethed. "You fucked that girl good... you're just as sick as we are. You've got no humanity left."

The demon who looked like Jason faltered just for a moment. No humanity left... Jay's knife crept back down toward Jason's exposed neck. The brute's eyes darkened. Something like dissatisfaction flickered across his face.

"You'd be too hard to sell now, too unstable," Jay mused, his knife an inch from slicing Jason open. "So, I've got to put you down, and sell your friends instead, once I find them... See you in hell, kid."

A pleasant, wet crunch met Jason's ears. Jay's eyes bulged and Jason gained the upper hand, pushing the knife away from his throat. A horrible gurgle oozed from the brute's lips, a bubble of blood bursting at the corner of his mouth. The pirate leader fell dead on top of Jason. The young man pushed the pirate's lifeless body off of him. There was a moon goddess hovering over him, a bruise forming on her cheek.

Daisy Lee was standing before him, blood staining her pure white hands. Jason glanced at Jay's corpse. A dagger was planted in the pirate's back, firmly wedged between his ribs. This girl, this beautiful girl, had taken a life. He saw Daisy take a few deep, shuddering breaths to try and compose herself.

"Jason," Daisy said, her voice shaking. She fell to her knees by his side. "Are you okay?"

Such a simple question. It didn't seem right that such a simple question could have such a horrible, life shattering answer. Because when he looked at her, fresh from her first kill, something inside him crumbled and broke, maybe for good.

_No, I'm not okay. I'll never be okay again! If it weren't for me, you never would have had any of this happen to you. All your pain... it's my fault! _

He couldn't answer her question.

"Daisy," Jason rasped. This voice wasn't his own. Of course it wasn't, he was dead. "Go. Run. Get out of here!"

"W-what?" Daisy stammered, doubt flickering across her face.

Jason stood up. As one last gesture of friendship, he helped her to her feet. But he wasn't sure how much more kindness he had in him.

"Take their boat and get back to where the others were," Jason said, still in that strange voice that wasn't his.

"Jason, what the hell are you talking about!" Daisy demanded, reaching out to grasp his arm, but Jason stepped back out of reach.

"Forget about me, Daisy," Jason croaked, throwing down all his weapons. His guns clattered on the floor. He wouldn't need them anymore, not where he was going. "Go home!"

Jason turned from her bright but confused gaze and ran down the hall. Without all his gear weighing him down, he was a fast runner. But Daisy was fast too. He could hear her footsteps following him. Her voice echoed in the tight space.

"Jason!" Daisy called. The young man could hear the desperation in her voice.

She was all around him. She was everywhere. He could hear her, smell her on himself, feel her fingers on his face. Jason kept running. This was the end for him. Random thoughts rattled around his his brain.

_Did I ever tell you the definition of insanity? _

_They weren't really trying to break Daisy. They were trying to break me, turn me into one of them! And I let them... I'm sorry, Daisy, I'm so sorry... I can't do this anymore. Even these goddamn pirates thought I was too fucked up..._

_You would have made Vaas proud, kid... You're even crazier than he was._

Jason blinked, as if that simple motion could clear the madness from his head. The insanity was in his soul, coursing through his blood like poison, slowly killing him.

The tunnel eventually opened up to the outside and Jason saw the sun. Down by the beach was a boat. Actually, there was more than one boat. Jason's mind spun as he caught sight of his friends creeping up the hill, armed with his own spare weapons. They must have been able to hold off the pirates Jason hadn't managed to kill. His friends had come for them. He was surprised to find that he was thankful for that. At least Daisy had a way home now.

He stopped momentarily at the tunnel entrance, looking left and right like a cornered animal. Daisy was coming up behind him fast. He made up his mind and bolted up the hill, which was thick with brush and undergrowth. That sort of vegetation could hide him while he disappeared.

And if his memory served him right, in that direction was the key to his salvation.

/


	7. Chapter 7

"Jason, wait!" Daisy called at Jason's retreating form. "Wait!"

But he was already disappearing through the brush. The young woman caught sight of her friends working their way up to her, and her heart soared. She silently thanked God that they were all okay. She ran up to the rest of the group.

"Jason ran off. We have to go after him!" she said desperately.

Nobody moved.

"Come on!" Daisy said to Liza. Liza turned away, looking at the beach. The boys studied their shoes. Riley shuffled his feet.

"What is wrong with all of you?" Daisy demanded, stomping her foot. She glared at Liza. "Liza, Jason needs you right now!"

"Needs me? He put a knife to my throat," Liza mumbled. "Now he's back to killing again."

"Only to protect us!" Daisy spat, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder. "Did you forget how he saved all of you?"

The silence was almost deafening. No one answered her, not until Riley finally spoke up.

"Jason wanted me to get you guys out of here," Riley mumbled. "That's what he wanted. Now you're here. So... we should go."

Daisy could hardly believe what she was hearing. She felt tears welling up in her eyes. How could they be so cruel, turning their backs on their friend? Jason needed them... he was in pain.

Daisy stared at the blood on her own hands. She still couldn't believe that she had taken a life herself. It paled in comparison to how many people Jason had killed, but still... it disturbed her deeply. And she'd only gotten a taste of the horror Jason had been living with for the last week.

_How can you do this? He was willing to lay down his life for you, for all of us. Yes, he made mistakes, he went too far, but... how can you just give up on him?_

"I'm going after him," Daisy said, clenching her tiny fists. She turned on heel and ran after Jason.

She must have run for over a mile, branches raking her arms and face. The girl had no idea how she was going to find Jason in this dense jungle, but something kept pulling her upward.

Why would he run from her? Was he so ashamed that he couldn't even face them?

"Jason!" Daisy called frantically, looking left and right, wondering where on earth he could have gotten to.

Daisy Lee was not the type to just give up. She couldn't just let Jason go that easily. She hadn't wanted to before, and she wasn't going to now. She kept running.

But soon the trees began to thin, and she quickly discovered why. A massive waterfall came into view, gallons of water cascading over the cliffs into the chasm below. It would have made for a beautiful spot for pictures. But standing at the edge of the cliffs was a twenty four year old man, his shaggy brown hair being blown around in the wind. His back was to her.

Daisy could just make out the splashes of blood on his hands. She glanced at her own bloody palms... now the two of them matched.

"Jason?" she said tentatively. The roar of the waterfall was so loud, no wonder he hadn't heard her before. She stepped closer to him, not wanting to scare him.

"Jason..." she said again. Jason's head tilted towards her just a little bit and Daisy caught a glimpse of his face.

He looked like he'd just gazed into the depths of hell.

"Daisy?" he croaked. He sounded as if he was trying not to cry. "Go back to the others. Get them out of here."

"Not without you," Daisy said firmly. She approached the edge cautiously. The rocks were slippery. One wrong move and both of them could end up plummeting to their deaths.

Then she realized that might be exactly what Jason wanted.

"I can't go home..." Jason mumbled, staring back down into the watery abyss. "I'm a killer. A monster. I'm a fucking rapist!"

"No, you're not!" Daisy insisted. She stepped closer to him, but he shifted farther toward the edge of the cliff. "Jason, please..."

"I touched you..." he sounded tormented by the thought. "I forced myself on you."

"Jason!" Daisy interrupted loudly. Wind whipped around them, threatening to force them over the edge. Daisy was determined that wouldn't happen. "Stop. You didn't force yourself on me. Those assholes made you."

Jason didn't say anything. He had his jaw so tightly clenched that Daisy wondered if he'd ever be able to open it again.

Daisy's heart twisted in her chest. She knew why Jason had done what he'd done. And even during the act, he'd been gentle. He hadn't hurt her, only exhausted her. The pirates most certainly would not have been so considerate. But they'd underestimated her strength when they'd tried to take her. She'd fought with every ounce of energy she had to keep them at bay, and eventually they grew tired of struggling with her. But then they'd brought in someone she couldn't bring herself to fight...

"I know why you did it," Daisy told him, shivering at the memory of those pirates leering at her, salivating at the thought of touching her... "You did it so the pirates wouldn't touch me. And, I just... thank you," she finished lamely.

"Don't thank me, please..." Jason said through clenched teeth. "It wasn't right..."

Daisy saw him dig the heels of his hands into his eyes. Was he crying now? She hated the idea that he was so tormented by the memory of what he'd done... She hadn't been totally comfortable with it, but sex with Jason had definitely been better than gang rape by a group of pirates with bad personal hygiene.

"Come back with me, Jason," Daisy said softly, trying to draw him away from the cliffs. They were only a few feet from the edge. "I'm ready to go home."

She saw the young man look back down at the waterfall. Warm mist wafted all around them. For a moment, time stood still as Daisy watched Jason standing on the edge of the abyss.

Don't do it, Jason... please.

"I could just jump now... "Jason whispered almost to himself. "Save you all the trouble. You don't want to bring a monster like me back home."

Daisy felt tears welling up in her eyes. She'd already lost Grant, she couldn't stand the thought of Jason leaving her too. Watching him standing there, ready to end himself, she realized just how important to her he really was.

"You can't leave me too, Jason," she said as she broke down and stared to cry. Tears cut trails in the dirt on her cheeks.

"I'm so angry, Daisy..." Jason mumbled, though he seemed somewhat perturbed by the tears now streaming down her face. Even when she'd been held captive by the pirates, she hadn't cried... "I can't stop myself," he continued. "You don't want to be with a guy like me."

Daisy made a sound somewhere between a sob and a laugh.

"Jason, don't you get it?" Daisy sobbed. "You're not angry, you're in pain! You're hurt! Why can't you let me help you?"

Jason took a deep shuddering breath. He wished Daisy couldn't read him so well... because as soon as the words were out of her mouth, he knew she was right. He was suffering. He was in agony, and he'd been blanketing his pain with his fury at the pirates.

What on earth could possibly save him now?

"Daisy, I don't know if I can do it!" Jason protested weakly. "I'm a killer, a murderer! Don't you see the blood on my hands?" he asked desperately, holding up his blood soaked palms.

"Do you see the blood on mine?" Daisy snarled through her tears. She held up her own blood stained arms. "I've killed somebody too! So if you jump, then I'm jumping too!"

"No!" Jason said, and she saw fear coursing through him like wildfire. "Daisy, no, you're not like me, okay?"

He would have said more, but Daisy cut him off.

"How am I not like you, huh?" she spat. "I stabbed that guy in the back to help you! Just like you would have done for me!"

Jason's mind was a storm of emotions. He wanted to jump and he wanted to stay. Daisy's big, sparkling blue eyes seemed to stare into his soul, just like Grant's had...

He wished she would just be angry at him... If she could see into his soul, how could she not hate him? He'd forced himself on her, and as much as he hated himself for all the horrible things he'd done, it didn't feel like enough. He needed her to hate him too.

"I wish you'd just hate me, Daisy," he said furiously. "Why can't you just be fucking mad at me?"

Daisy just blinked those big blue sapphire eyes at him. A few more tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes and she wiped them away, smearing dirt all over her cheeks.

"You still don't get it, do you?" she said softly, tugging anxiously at the simple black necklaces around her neck. "You don't need me to hate you, Jason. You need me to forgive you."

Jason staggered as if he'd hit an invisible wall, and for the first time, something occurred to him. Something so wrong but so right, he felt like he could barely entertain the thought. And now that emotion he'd been trying to suppress forced its way up out of the swirling pool of anger and pain. Jason knew, right then and there, he was a doomed man. There was no way he could stop this.

_Grant... I think I might love your girlfriend... Did you send her here to help me? So we could help each other? Am I good enough for her?_

"It's alright, Jason," Daisy murmured, still sniffling. He felt like he could hear all those unsaid words she couldn't get out. I forgive you, Jason. I still care.

It seemed impossible, but... she didn't hate him. She still believed that he was a good man. And if she believed it... was there a chance that it was true?

"Daisy..." Jason murmured.

In an instant, Daisy had thrown herself into his arms. She wrapped her skinny arms around him like a vice and held him tightly, burying her face in his filthy shirt. Sobs shook her tiny body as she pressed herself against him.

"Don't do this, Jason," she whispered into his chest. "Please. Come home with me."

_God help me..._

Slowly, Jason brought his strong arms up around Daisy's tiny frame. He pressed his cheek to the side of her head and took a deep breath. She smelled amazing, like rain in the summer time. Just that one tiny detail cleared his head.

And as she held him, the insanity retreated back into the dark corners of his mind.

_We'll go home... we'll try and figure this out. I promised Grant I'd take care of you. I'll love you with all the pieces of my damaged, fucked up soul. That's all I've got left._

In one swift motion, Jason picked up Daisy Lee and cradled her in his arms, stepping carefully away from the edge of the waterfall. She was so light it made his heart sink. She'd surely lost weight... they needed to get out of here.

They walked like that for a while until Daisy's tears ceased. He tried to smile as she dried her tears on his sleeve, but his face still felt stiff. Then he set her gently on the ground. The two of them continued back down the hill, working their way around the brush instead of barreling through it. The one thing Jason never did was let go of Daisy's hand.

"I'm sorry for scaring you," Jason mumbled, ashamed at his moment of weakness.

Daisy squeezed his hand reassuringly. I'm still here, she seemed to say. I'm not giving up on you.

"Just don't let it happen again," she said softly, a ghost of a grin on her face.

When they reached the shore, the four friends were milling around like lost puppies, unsure of what to do. Jason felt an uncomfortable lurch in his stomach when he saw them. Their presence still made him feel guilty, like a murderer... Daisy was the only one he felt like he could relax around. Liza's eyes narrowed when she saw Jason's hand clasped tightly around Daisy's.

Jason's fingers tightened around Daisy's. He still couldn't let go of her hand. He wanted to say so many things to her... but he couldn't yet. There was one thing he had to do first.

"Liza," he said, approaching the brunette.

"Jason," Liza said stiffly. Always so proper... so polite. Very rarely did Liza let go and get all emotional.

"There's something I've been wanting to say for a few days now," Jason said slowly. He needed to get this off his chest. "I haven't been feeling this for a while... and I think I'm done. I'm sorry."

"Just like that?" Liza snapped. "You threaten me with a knife and then dump me for your dead brother's girlfriend?"

Jason growled. He really wasn't interested in being judged right now, not after he'd just made his decision to stay in this world and try to keep it together.

"Watch it," he hissed. "She actually gives a shit about me, which is more than you can say."

Liza just sniffed scornfully and folded her arms across her chest. Jason nodded curtly, like her bitter remarks and attitude were completely acceptable. He liked Liza as a friend, but he'd found what he wanted. Now he just had to worry about controlling the darkness in his mind.

Working together like they'd been doing it all their lives, Jason and Daisy drained the gasoline from the pirates' boats and stashed it on their ship. They took a few other supplies too, food and water. Daisy even insisted he take back his pistol and knife. Jason didn't want them, but he took them for Daisy's sake. He really didn't need reminders of what a monster he was.

The boys started to relax a bit, helping Jason load supplies. The only person who still seemed to be upset was Liza. Jason did his best to ignore that. Instead, he focused on Daisy as she worked. He watched her as she braided her hair down her back. He smiled as she struggled to move a big container of gasoline and went to help her. And when they were ready to go, even though she didn't need help, Jason held out his hand to lift her up into the boat.

Daisy let Riley steer. Jason suspected she was just too emotionally drained to drive at the moment. He put his good hand around her and let her head rest on her chest. Soon, she seemed to be fast asleep, nestled against him.

It felt good, Jason decided. It felt good to be needed this way. It felt good to be liked for who he was and not judged so harshly. He was in no way perfect, but with Daisy here to help him... he could keep it together. He could keep those dark parts of himself hidden away.

Daisy brought out the best in him. She accepted him as he was and didn't look down on him. She soothed him. She calmed him. This goddess had drawn the poison of insanity out of him. Jason felt his eyelids grow heavy.

_Hey, Grant... I miss you, bro. Thanks for helping me out. I'll keep her safe. I promise._


	8. Chapter 8

Jason had wondered how many showers he would have to take to wash away all the blood on his hands. As it turned out, it was only one.

Daisy, being the only one who still had any money, had gotten them hotel rooms. There wasn't a flight back to the United States until tomorrow. Thankfully, the hotel hadn't thrown away all their luggage and they were able to get it back.

They each had gotten their own rooms to diffuse any awkward situations. Jason hadn't been able to sleep, though he badly wanted to. Sleep would be an amazing place to be right now to escape his dark, depressing thoughts. Or maybe not. Maybe if he slept, he would have been plagued with nightmares.

He thought about Daisy. Once they'd gotten back into the city, Jason had been overcome with nerves. He wanted Daisy. He wanted to be with her. It had been easy to forget about 'proper' rules of society out in the jungle and completely give himself over to her. But now that they were back in civilized society... was it okay for them to be together?

He paced his room until finally he couldn't stand it anymore. He had to get out.

Jason was stomping down the hall, searching for a soda, when somebody's door opened.

"What are you doing?" Daisy asked, sticking her head out the door.

Jason swallowed hard. Daisy was dressed in nothing but a towel and flip flops, obviously about to get in the shower.

"I'm gonna get a drink," he muttered. Daisy frowned.

"I'm not sure you should be drinking right now," she said, putting a hand on her hip.

"Just a soda!" he amended himself quickly. Daisy's mouth twitched.

"I have some in here, Jason," she said sweetly, grinning at him and gesturing toward the interior of her room. Jason felt his pulse quicken. Like a dog on leash, he followed Daisy into her room. One thing he'd always appreciated about her, she had the ability to make any place she was in feel warm and welcoming. Maybe that was why he'd made those confessions to her back in the cave... she just gave off that vibe that she could be trusted.

Daisy sauntered over to the mini fridge and leaned over it, pulling out a soda. Jason's entire body tensed, remembering the feeling of being inside her as he almost caught a glimpse of the sexual delights hidden under that towel. Then she turned back to him and tossed him the bottle. Jason caught it deftly.

"You sure?" he said, blinking at it. "These things are like ten bucks a pop."

Daisy rolled her eyes.

"Just take it, Jason."

"I'll pay you back," Jason promised. Daisy glared at him, adjusting her towel so it didn't fall down.

"Don't you dare," she said simply.

Jason decided not to argue. He snapped the top off the bottle and stuck it in his mouth to avoid blurting out any more inane comments. Daisy let her hair down from its ponytail and shook it out so that it fell around her shoulders in a sheet of pale gold. She smiled at Jason as he stared at her, his soda bottle clutched tightly in his hand.

"I can go if you want..." Jason offered, even though he had absolutely no desire to leave.

"Jason, just relax," she said to him, wandering into the bathroom to turn on the shower. "I don't bite... often," she added, shooting a grin at him over her shoulder.

"Relax... I'm very relaxed," he said with a weak chuckle. He was mesmerized by the sway of her hips under that towel.

"You don't look very relaxed," Daisy countered, testing the water. "You look like you're trying to strangle your soda."

Jason hastily set his drink down on a table. Daisy sighed and ran a hand through her long blonde hair.

"Come here," she said suddenly.

_You are the perfect distraction,_ Jason thought blissfully to himself. _I am so glad that I confessed to you that I'm a nutcase. You make being crazy seem really fucking normal. Or maybe you just make me forget about my insanity and want to be normal again..._

Jason stood up like a good boy. He obediently shuffled over to where she was standing in the bathroom, waiting for the shower to warm up. Daisy looked him up and down, her sapphire blue eyes taking in everything from his wind swept hair sticking out all over the place to his muddy boots flecked with bits of grass.

"Take off that jacket," she whispered.

The jacket was on the floor in less than a second. He'd only been wearing it to cover up all the flesh wounds he'd gotten over the last week. Daisy's eyes glanced over his many wounds, plus his new tattoos. A single white hand reached out, fingers tracing the shapes of sharks and birds and spiders that were working their way up his forearm.

Then those fingers skipped to less pleasant things... a gaping hole in the back of his left hand. A smaller bullet hole in his right forearm. Scratches raking his upper arms. Some of them he'd tried to bandage. Some of them he just hadn't given a shit, or he'd been out of medical supplies.

"Where did you learn first aid?" Daisy asked, a slight smirk on her face. "Did a five year old teach you this stuff?"

"Very funny," Jason said with a grimace. "Most of it... I dunno. It was like I could barely feel it."

"Do you feel it now?" she asked softly, her hand settling over his hand, covering the ragged hole.

"Sort of..." Jason said, not sure of how to respond. Truth be told, most of it was just a dull throb under the surface of his skin. Just like the grief of losing his older brother...

"Well, Jason Brody..." Daisy began, her thin hands moving to his chest. "You need a shower. Take off those clothes."

Jason felt the heat rising in his neck.

"Yes, ma'am," he said, stripping off his filthy shirt. As Jason struggled with his boots, Daisy let her towel fall from around her slender form. Jason had to work very hard to not fall over as he watched her performing the simple task of hanging up her towel. Though he'd already seen her naked, it was in a completely different setting. He wondered how she could still trust him now, after what he did...

Of course, she knew why he'd done it. And he'd only forced himself on her to save her from the alternative... brutal rape by a gang of pirates. He was happy that she at least seemed to understand that. And some tiny, optimistic part of him wondered if maybe... maybe if they'd first been intimate in a more private setting, like they were now... could she love him back?

_I hope that one day I can love you as well as Grant did. _

Daisy stepped into the shower, sighing at the warm water surrounded her. Jason managed to peel the rest of his disgusting clothes from his body. He'd been wearing them for so long they'd practically been fused to his skin. Daisy beckoned to him, and he slipped into the shower stall with her.

Jason found himself standing so close to her that her breasts brushed against his chest. He realized that being naked in this shower with her felt completely and totally natural. His nakedness wasn't embarrassing at all...

He wondered if it was right for them to be together like this.

Was he nothing but a quick replacement for Grant? His brother had only been dead for a little over a week... but how could he judge her for that, when he'd basically done the same thing? He'd dumped Liza and immediately made it clear that he wanted to be with Daisy...

And Daisy, in turn, made it clear that she wanted to be with him. They'd both been hurt. They were both suffering and in pain. It was a lot easier to cope with his suffering with Daisy by his side.

"Stay still," she whispered to him.

Jason stood stock still as Daisy got a washcloth and slowly began to clean his body. She had a bottle of baby soap and tenderly cleaned his wounds. Dirt flowed from his body as she cleaned him.

"How did this happen?" Daisy asked him as she wiped carefully at the hole in his hand, removing any lingering bits of dirt and sand. His left hand was a mess. Not only was that hand missing a finger, but it had a big hole in it.

"Piece of shrapnel," Jason said through clenched teeth. As careful as she was being, it still stung a little. "I was standing too close to a grenade."

Daisy sighed exasperatedly.

"Honestly, Jason, I think the first thing I'm going to do with you when we get home is put you somewhere you can't get hurt," she said, brushing her long, wet hair behind her ears.

"Good luck with that," Jason said, smirking. He'd always had a knack for getting in trouble.

They fell silent once again as Daisy finished cleaning all the wounds on his body. Jason reached out and stroked the side of her face briefly, frowning at the bruise on her cheek where that pirate had struck her.

"Daisy," he said slowly as he withdrew his hand. "Do you think... this is okay?"

"Do I think what's okay?" Daisy said easily, now shampooing her own hair. She handed Jason the bottle so he could wash his hair too. Jason, wondering what kinds of things were growing in his hair, used way more shampoo than he probably needed.

"Us... being together like this," Jason said awkwardly, all too aware that it was a little too late now. They were naked in the shower together already, after all.

Daisy pinched her eyes shut as she scrubbed her scalp. Jason heard her taking a slow, deep breath.

"Jason... I just don't know," she whispered, almost to herself. "Was killing right? Maybe not, but... we did it. All the things we did... we have to live with them now."

Jason considered that. He watched Daisy rinse the shampoo from her hair, water cascading between her perfect breasts. Jason realized, as she moved aside to let him rinse his own hair, that nothing he could have done would have stopped this from happening. Whether they'd purposely waited an appropriate amount of time or not, Jason knew that eventually... he would have been drawn to her.

He cared for her. He decided that if living with Daisy was a bad thing, then he didn't want to be right. He wanted to be with her no matter the consequences. If people talked... then let them talk.

Jason finished rinsing his own hair. It felt good to be clean. He realized with a jolt to his senses that being back in polite society... wasn't so bad. This one shower had washed away the blood on his hands.

They got out of the shower, drying themselves off. Jason sat naked on the bed and watched as Daisy combed her long blonde tresses. She was way too perfect for him.

"I'm sorry for... everything, Daisy," he said to the floor. He took a sip of his soda which was now room temperature and a little gross.

"Jason," Daisy said sharply, tossing her damp hair over her shoulder. "Stop. We're going home now, so you really need to stop beating yourself up over everything you did."

"How am I supposed to just... forget about it?" Jason asked uncomfortably, now distracted by watching Daisy's behind.

"I'm guessing you don't," Daisy said simply, coming over to sit by him. She took his wounded hand in hers. "But Jason, in case you didn't get it the first time... I don't hate you for what happened. You did it to save me, to save us, and you did."

She put a hand on his bare chest and pushed him down on the bed.

"Now just rest," she ordered him gently. "Let me take care of you."

"Okay," Jason squeaked, his voice an octave higher than usual.

A minute later, he was disappointed. As it turned out, 'taking care of him' did not involve sex, but stitching up all his wounds.

_Figures... Grant had to bring home a physician's assistant. _

Still completely naked, Daisy busted out her personal first aid kit. She disinfected all his wounds, carefully arranged what was left of his shredded flesh, and began stitching him up with a physician's curved needle.

Jason suspected she was rather enjoying having this amount of control over him. A little bit of playful payback.

"Do you always treat your patients naked?" Jason teased her as she worked on his leg.

Daisy stuck her tongue out at him, but then she smiled, showing her white even teeth.

"No, this is just for you," she said brightly. "You've got so many holes in you, I figured you'd need a distraction while I stitched you up."

"Well I'm loving your bedside manner, doctor," Jason joked, patting her butt.

"I'm not a doctor, Jason," Daisy corrected him. "Just a PA."

"Well, doctor," Jason continued as if he hadn't heard her. "I have a problem."

"You have way too many problems, Jason," Daisy said with a laugh. "Should we just start a list? Things that are wrong with Jason Brody..."

"I take it back," Jason said, letting his head fall back on the bed. "Your bedside manner sucks."

"Ouch, that almost hurt," Daisy said sardonically. "Well, Jason... what's your problem?"

Jason took a deep breath, fully aware of how desperate this was going to sound.

"My problem is that I don't want to sleep alone."

Daisy paused in her stitching, letting her hand rest on his thigh.

"Jason..." Daisy said, giving his leg a squeeze. "You don't ever have to sleep alone again if you don't want to."

Jason let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"Thanks," he said shortly as Daisy resumed her stitching.

Daisy finished up the wound she'd been working on and slapped a band aid on it. Jason realized he must have been lying there for quite a while letting her work, because the last hole in him was the one on his hand.

"So, Jason..." Daisy said, and in a flash she was straddling him. Jason felt himself stiffen as she leaned over him, her sweet smelling hair falling all around him. "What's on your mind? Before I finish this last one..." she said, taking his wounded hand in hers. "I want you to get whatever is bothering you off your chest, right now."

"Seriously?" Jason complained.

"Yes," Daisy said firmly. Her fingers played with what little chest hair he had.

Jason raised his left hand. Hoyt's mercenary had done a shitty job cutting off his ring finger, because about half of it remained.

"Daisy..." he said slowly, frowning at the bandaged stump. It was the one injury she hadn't touched. She was probably going to insist on taking him to a real doctor when they got home. "Do you think there's enough of my finger left to wear a ring on?"

The girl shifted on top of him so that Jason felt his dick throbbing. He wanted her badly, but she wanted the truth out of him first. Jason supposed he owed her that much...

Jason felt a flutter in his stomach. He'd caught a flash of her teeth as she grinned.

"You probably could..." she said slowly. She stroked his middle finger. "But you could wear a ring on this finger instead, if you had to..."

"I want to get married one day," Jason blurted out in a rush. The thoughts had been pushing at his mind for a while, and now the damn had burst. "But this goddamn finger, it just... reminds me every time I look at it that I'm fucked up. I thought I was some kind of warrior, but in reality I was just as bad as Vaas and Hoyt, wasn't I?"

Daisy put a finger on his lips.

"You _are_ a warrior, Jason," she said, brushing her hair over her shoulder. She held him down firmly, not about to let him get away until she'd had her say. "But you're a warrior on your own terms. You took control of your life, you found your own path."

He needed to hear that... that was what he'd wanted his whole life. But it still didn't feel right.

"But you were right..." he choked out. "The natives, they were using me to wage war. They were purposely trying to rile me up... They wanted me to kill all of you! They weren't any better than the pirates either..."

He felt Daisy's hand on his cheek.

"What kind of man am I, Daisy?" he mumbled, pinching his eyes shut.

His eyes snapped open when he felt something soft pressing against his mouth. Daisy had leaned over and covered his mouth with hers, effectively silencing him. His passions aroused, his tongue slipped between her lips and met hers. She had one hand in his damp hair and one clinging to his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her back and puller her into him, deepening their kiss.

He never wanted the kiss to end, because when she kissed him... it was like living again. Daisy Lee had breathed new life into him. He'd been a dead man, and she brought him back.

But eventually the kiss came to an end, and Jason found Daisy's sapphire eyes just inches from his. She knew the truth now. She'd seen into his soul, and she still cared for him.

"Jason, you're a man who made mistakes," she whispered. Her breath smelled like mint... he wanted to keep kissing those soft lips. "But you learned from them, and you came back even stronger than before. I really admire that about you."

Jason wanted to tell Daisy how much he loved her right then and there.

"Besides," she murmured, nibbling his ear lobe, "If you hadn't insisted on staying behind, you never would have found your brother. So it all worked out."

Jason felt sick to his stomach at the thought of his brother. He'd tortured his own brother... granted, it had been necessary at the time or neither of them would have gotten out alive, but still... it left a sour taste in his mouth. But at least Riley hadn't been dead like Keith had thought.

Daisy kissed him quickly again, as she could tell he was getting worked up.

"Relax, Jason, just relax... I'm here," she whispered soothingly is if he were a child. "You saved me, you saved your friends, you did everything you promised."

Jason tried to breathe evenly to slow his racing heart. Then he felt Daisy taking his mutilated hand, pulling together his shredded flesh, going to town with her needle. She was really good at this... They really were a perfect match. As good as he was at inflicting injuries, she was even better at fixing them.

Daisy bandaged his hand snugly, then pressed his palm to the side of her face.

"We're still going to take you to a hospital to get this looked at," Daisy said firmly, poking lightly at his stump.

"Yes, ma'am," Jason mumbled, pulling her back down to him. For quite a while they laid on the bed naked together, kissing and slowly getting to know each others' bodies. The young man wanted her, but at the same time he knew he wasn't ready. They needed a little more time until they were healed enough for that.

It was funny, Jason thought as he held her. Daisy had healed his wounds, and now she was healing his mind as well. She was going to be an amazing physician's assistant.

After what felt like no time at all, Jason glanced at the clock. It was one in the morning. No wonder his eyelids were feeling so heavy.

"We should probably get some sleep, huh?" Daisy said softly, her lips feathering over his neck. "Our flight is at ten."

"Yeah," Jason agreed. Daisy had arranged for a wake up call since both of them had lost their cell phones. So Jason lay down on his side, carefully molding Daisy's back into his front. Her sweet smelling hair tickled his cheek, and he loved it. But even in this hotel room, he worried about her. He'd protect her, even while sleeping, with his own body. She was his most precious treasure now.

Jason Brody knew he was crazy. But right now, he was still in control.

/

A/N: And done! (Well, except maybe for an epilogue. I can't decide.) And I'm fairly happy with it, so hopefully you are too.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: well my fiance was concerned about whether or not Jason ever got out of the friend zone (I'm not sure why). so just in case anybody else was wondering that too... lol.

If this doesn't add anything for you, feel free to ignore it. I'm still not sure if I like it.

/

Even six months after coming back to the States, Jason still wasn't sleeping well.

Shortly after coming home, Jason had moved out of his mom's house and into Daisy's small home outside the city. It was a home she'd nearly shared with Grant... but now it belonged to him and his love. There had been talk, there had been mutterings from friends of the family. But Jason wasn't about to let something like petty rumors distract him from his goal: building a relationship with Daisy.

Their relationship was hard work. Daisy and Jason were two headstrong people and they clashed nearly every week. But Jason didn't mind the work. All the effort he put into staying with Daisy was totally worth it. Especially when she would fall asleep in his strong arms... it was completely worth it then. Lying in bed with Daisy in his arms just reinforced that he'd made the right choice.

Being with Liza had been work too... but Jason realized that it had been work because he hadn't wanted to be in that relationship. Being with Daisy was work because he _did_ want to stay with her. He needed her in his life. When Daisy wasn't around, Jason could feel all those uncomfortable emotions creeping back into his head. He could feel guilt, shame, anger...

And the memories, of course. The memories never went away. It was just like Daisy had said... he couldn't forget. The flashbacks would hit him hard sometimes... He'd see blood dripping from his fingertips, knives buried in necks, bullets embedded in his own flesh, fire destroying everything and everyone he cared about... so much death and destruction. Jason had never thought of memories as things that could physically hurt a person, but these images did just that.

Only one thing helped... being with Daisy. Because when Daisy was nearby, Jason could feel joy again. He could feel happiness, he could relax and have fun. The horrible images in his head would get farther away and become less painful. Daisy was his cure for madness.

Liza had been right about one thing. Jason had grown up a lot while on Rook Island. Daisy would tease him about that sometimes, calling him an old man. That was usually when Jason would scoop her up in his arms and carry her to the bedroom to show her how much of an "old man" he really was.

Jason fell more and more in love with her with each passing day.

But sometimes when Daisy worked late at the hospital, Jason would try to fall asleep without her and it never ended well...

_Jason could hear Daisy screaming in the distance..._

"_Daisy!" Jason yelled as loudly as he could._

_He was in a fog, he couldn't see anything. He could feel his breath rasping in his lungs as he ran, looking for Daisy..._

_The fog cleared, and there she was. Jason came to an abrupt halt. A horrible scene met his eyes... He could see himself standing behind Daisy, his good arm wrapped around her neck, holding a knife to her throat._

_Jason stared into his own green eyes. He could see the anger lurking just below the surface there... _

"_Please," Jason managed to croak. "Please, don't hurt her."_

_His twin growled, pressing the knife into Daisy's pale neck. A thin red line appeared there. Daisy whimpered. _

"_What's wrong with you?" the phantom Jason snarled. "You think you deserve her? She should be with Grant!"_

"_Grant's gone," Jason said quietly to his clone. "I promised Grant I'd take care of her. I won't let you hurt her!"_

"_You're hurting her," the other Jason hissed, still digging the knife into Daisy's soft skin. "You're a twisted wreck of a man, a pathetic shell of a human being... you think you're good enough for a goddess like her? You'll only drag her down."_

_Jason wanted to scream, because everything his twin was saying was true. He was a hollow man. His mind had been shattered on Rook Island. It was a miracle he'd been able to arrange the pieces of his broken soul into something functional. _

_But still, at the end of the day... he would never be the same again._

"_Jason," Daisy whispered. "Why are you doing this?"_

"_He doesn't deserve you," the other Jason hissed to her, not wavering for a second. Then Jason locked eyes with himself. "You can barely hold yourself together. What makes you think you should have her?"_

_Jason felt his hands trembling as he looked at Daisy. Though he himself was the one holding the knife to her throat and she didn't understand why, he could still see the trust in her eyes. She trusted him, she believed in him..._

_He couldn't win against himself with strength alone. But there was one thing that might disarm his demons._

"_I love her," Jason said, completely unashamed. He had absolutely no problem admitting it. "Since the first time I saw her... I loved her. I wanted to hold her, to give her everything she's ever wanted..."_

_Daisy seemed to grow brighter in his mind's eye... the other Jason started to fade. _

"_When she was dying from poison in my arms, I would have given anything to save her... anything," Jason continued faintly. _

_And he would have, he would have done anything, eaten any number of hallucinogenic mushrooms to save her... whatever the price, Jason would have gladly paid it. _

"_And when Citra wanted me to kill her... I would have rather put the knife to my own throat than hers," Jason finished, watching as the phantom Jason sighed and lowered the knife. _

"_That's it..." the phantom Jason murmured as he disappeared._

_Daisy reached out a thin hand to him and whispered his name. Jason stepped forward and threw his arms around her, lifting her off her feet._

"_I love you, Jason," she murmured softly to him._

"Jason..."

Jason's green eyes snapped open. He could feel himself sweating under the sheet he'd gotten himself tangled in.

Daisy Lee was hovering over him, her blonde hair hanging in her face. She'd crawled into bed with him while he was thrashing around.

"H-hey," Jason stammered, trying to work his arms free from the damp sheet. "Home already?" he added as if he hadn't just been freaking out in his sleep. But he knew his girl wouldn't be fooled in the slightest.

Daisy's lips touched his in a warm and tender kiss, and his slightly panicked breathing slowed.

He could just make out Daisy smiling faintly as she helped him untangle himself from the covers. She climbed into bed with him, wearing nothing but a tiny lace thong.

"Bad dreams again?" she said softly.

"Yeah," Jason sighed. His arms reached around Daisy's tiny waist, drawing her into his sweaty chest.

He could still remember pieces of the dream even as it started to fade in his mind. One thought stuck in his head. In all these months together, while they struggled to work out what their relationship was going to be, they had never once said 'I love you' to each other. Was she waiting for him to say it? Or did she simply not love him the way he loved her?

Daisy rolled over so she was facing him. Her blue eyes reflected the moonlight coming in through her bedroom window.

"Want to tell me about it?" she said simply. Jason knew that if he said no, she wouldn't push him or nag at him. He loved that about her. If he had nightmares, which wasn't uncommon, she would always ask if he wanted to talk. Most of the time, he'd say no. But not this time.

"I just... I was thinking..." he was babbling and he hated it. He knew that whatever he said, Daisy wouldn't laugh at him or make fun of him. She took him seriously. But he still felt foolish for bringing this up now...

Daisy snuggled into his chest, her head resting on his shoulder.

Jason took a deep breath. How could he think Daisy didn't love him? How could he even let the thought enter his head, especially after all they'd been through? He pressed his mouth to the nearest part of her he could reach, which happened to be her forehead.

"You were thinking?" Daisy prompted him softly, her warm breath on his skin the only real thing in the world. Jason made a vague noise.

"Hmm," Daisy said, her hands straying to his chest. "Not talking, huh?"

She shifted under the sheets until she was straddling him, one leg on either side of his hips, her face inches from his. Jason, who had been sleeping naked, felt his manhood slipping against the soft fabric of her thong and he was instantly hard.

"Well, I have ways of making you talk," she whispered, her lips descending to meet his. Jason happily returned her kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her into him.

_I love you so much, Daisy... I love you so much it hurts when you aren't here._

Her mischievous hands strayed to his length, gently stroking him, causing Jason to groan softly into their kiss.

_Oh you play dirty, woman..._

Jason hooked his thumbs into her thong, pulling it down over her firm thighs. Daisy paused in her kiss only for a moment to kick off the tiny garment.

In one easy motion, Jason flipped Daisy over, pinning her beneath him. Jason could see the trust in her eyes as she looked up at him. As Jason leaned over to continue kissing her soft lips, his good hand slipped between her smooth thighs to find her wet and waiting for him. Daisy spread her legs a little bit more, welcoming him in.

Jason trailed butterfly kisses up her neck as he eased a finger inside her, feeling her warmth surrounding him. She made a sound of pleasure in his ear as he kissed her. Jason slipped a second finger inside and started to move them, feeling Daisy's wetness coating him. He knew exactly where to touch to get her going. Soon, he had her panting and quivering beneath him.

_How can you trust me? How can you love me so much? I know you do, but I still can't believe it some days..._

And yet, somehow... she did. She loved him, trusted him. Even when he'd become a murderous demon, she still hadn't been afraid of him. And she still wasn't.

It occurred to Jason that in some ways Daisy was just as crazy as he was. That thought made him smile.

"You're enjoying this way too much," Daisy breathed as her muscles clenched down on his hand. But she ruined it by grinning at him.

"Yeah, I am," Jason said, grinning back at her. But sometimes he wondered if he wast still a little bit sick... sometimes he just wanted to claim her, to let the whole world know that she was his. This goddess belonged to him.

_Will you allow me this one small slip back into madness? I want you. I want to call you mine._

Daisy dug her nails into his shoulders, pulling him back down to her mouth. He felt his manhood rubbing between her thighs...

Jason couldn't stand it anymore, he had to have her. And she must have known how much of an effect she was having on him. He grasped his length, slowly easing himself inside her.

Heaven... being with Daisy was like being in heaven. Jason slowly made love to Daisy in her bed, loving the way she held onto him and the way she welcomed him inside her...

She let him make himself part of her. Like this, he was whole again.

Afterward, Daisy lay quietly in his arms, her head resting on his chest as if listening to his heartbeat.

"So... what were you thinking, Jason?" Daisy murmured against him. Jason shifted uneasily. He should have known that she wouldn't forget about that.

"How can you still trust me?" Jason asked, thinking about his dream. His dream self had said that he would only drag Daisy down...

Jason felt Daisy tense up and he knew that she wasn't happy. But then she relaxed, pressing her cheek to his chest.

"You're no monster, Jason," Daisy whispered. "You have a human heart."

"What's that mean?" Jason said without a trace of sarcasm.

"I tried to tell you before on the boat... you're still the same guy," Daisy mumbled sleepily. "You're different now, yes, but you're still Jason Brody."

"And... you're happy with me?"

Daisy lifted her head off his chest to peer suspiciously into his eyes.

"You think I'm not happy?"

"I hope you are," Jason said, staring back at those gleaming sapphires that she used for eyes. "I'm trying."

Daisy smiled slowly. She knew what he was trying to say. I'm trying to be normal, Daisy. I'm trying to leave all that mess behind me, to be a good man for you.

"You always have," she said gently. "Remember how you caught me when I slipped and almost fell off the bar at that club?"

"Yeah," Jason said, smiling internally at the memory of Daisy shaking it under the flashing lights. So hot... "I couldn't forget that if I tried."

"I remember you in the crowd, smiling at me like... like..." Daisy paused struggling to find the right word.

"Like I loved you?" Jason blurted out before he could stop himself.

Daisy's eyes lit up. Jason had never been more happy that he was so impulsive.

She leaned down and kissed him again, sucking on his lower lip a little before pulling away. Jason's hand unconsciously rubbed her butt. Daisy let her head rest back on his chest, still listening to his heart.

"You loved me even then, didn't you?" she said finally.

Jason exhaled, tightening his grip on his girl. There was no point lying now. No point to trying to cover up his feelings, and no point trying to hide things from Daisy, especially when Daisy was one of the very few people he trusted.

"I did," Jason admitted. "I loved you from the moment I first saw you, I just couldn't admit it, even to myself."

Daisy made a content and happy humming noise, like that what was she'd been waiting to hear...

"I love you too, Jason," she said to him, her hand searching for his. Jason helped her by grabbing her hand with his mangled hand, lacing his fingers with hers. He still needed to hold onto her. "Everything is so different now, isn't it?"

That was certainly true, everything was different... Daisy's boyfriend had been stolen unfairly from her. As much as that made Jason angry, he knew there was no going back to the way things were. He also knew that he'd never be able to make up for that loss. Jason only hoped to make her as happy as he possibly could since Grant could no longer be there for her.

That was his focus in life now. Jason was still fighting, alright. He was fighting with himself, but he was also fighting for love. He'd been wrong in thinking that the madness in his soul was all he had left... he still had, as Daisy put it, a human heart.

"Yeah it is, and... I just want to make sure you're okay," Jason said gently, rubbing small circles on her back. Daisy laughed, kissing his cheek quickly.

"Really?" she said lightly. "You want to make sure I'm okay? I should be the one asking you that."

"I'm fine," Jason insisted. And he wasn't lying. He was happy, he really was. Yes, he was scarred, he was damaged goods, but... Daisy loved him. That was all he needed.

"Good," Daisy whispered in response. She was obviously exhausted, she could barely keep her eyes open.

Jason held Daisy close as she drifted off to sleep. She had promised him that he would never have to sleep alone again if he didn't want to, and she'd done her best to make sure she was there for him. Jason had promised Grant he'd take care of Daisy, but he'd also promised himself that he'd love her as well as Grant had.

Right now, Jason felt as if he'd kept that promise.

"I love you," Jason said quietly before closing his own eyes.

/

A/N: thanks to Shotgun Larry for your review, it was very encouraging =)

I'd be curious/happy to hear anyone else's thoughts if you are so inclined. Please be kind lol.


End file.
